Farm & food prices · Production and land
Cash rent for non-irrigated cropland: Middlesex County, Massachusetts
The average cash rent farmers paid per acre for non-irrigated cropland, from USDA's yearly cash rents survey.
Up to dateYearly. States at the end of July, counties in August. Last published Aug 21, 2026. Next expected August 2027.
The latest figures and how they have changed
Middlesex County, 2026
$64.50 an acre
Down 9.2% from $71 in 2025
Massachusetts, 2026
$97.50 an acre
Up 10.2% from $88.50 in 2025
United States, 2026
$146 an acre
Down 0.7% from $147 in 2025
Middlesex CountyMassachusettsUnited States
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What the numbers say
- Middlesex County's rent is 0.7 times the Massachusetts average and 0.4 times the US average.
- It is the 5th lowest of the 11 Massachusetts counties NASS published for 2026.
- Since 2021 it has risen 6.6%, from $60.50 to $64.50 an acre.
- Gaps are years with no separate Middlesex figure: NASS ran no county survey in 2015 or 2018, in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020 it combined Middlesex into "other counties", and NASS had no figure available in 2008. Nothing is filled in.
Every figure behind this chart
| Year | Middlesex County | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $64.50 | $97.50 | $146 |
| 2025 | $71 | $88.50 | $147 |
| 2024 | $77 | $91.50 | $146 |
| 2023 | $77.50 | $90.50 | $142 |
| 2022 | $67.50 | $87.50 | $135 |
| 2021 | $60.50 | $78 | $128 |
| 2020 | Combined into "other counties" | $68 | $126 |
| 2019 | Combined into "other counties" | $71 | $127 |
| 2018 | No county survey that year | No figure | $125 |
| 2017 | Combined into "other counties" | $67 | $123 |
| 2016 | Combined into "other counties" | $53 | $125 |
| 2015 | No county survey that year | No figure | $133 |
| 2014 | Combined into "other counties" | $62 | $130 |
| 2013 | Combined into "other counties" | $51 | $125 |
| 2012 | Combined into "other counties" | $67 | $115 |
| 2011 | Combined into "other counties" | $59 | $101 |
| 2010 | Combined into "other counties" | $64 | No figure |
| 2009 | Combined into "other counties" | $60 | No figure |
| 2008 | Not available | $60 | No figure |
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Every Massachusetts county, 2026
Darker shading means a higher figure. Values run from $37.50 an acre in Barnstable County to $141 an acre in Franklin County.
- Under $40 (1 county)
- $40 to under $80 (5 counties)
- $80 to under $120 (2 counties)
- $120 to under $160 (3 counties)
- $160 and over (0 counties)
- Not published separately (3 counties, $122 an acre combined)
NASS combined Nantucket County, Norfolk County and Suffolk County into "other counties", so they have no figure of their own.
| Rank | County | Figure (dollars an acre) | Precision (CV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin County | $141 | 13.2% |
| 2 | Hampden County | $130 | 17.2% |
| 3 | Hampshire County | $129 | 8.2% |
| 4 | Bristol County | $101 | 11.7% |
| 5 | Plymouth County | $81.50 | 15.7% |
| 6 | Essex County | $77.50 | 12.7% |
| 7 | Middlesex County This county | $64.50 | 14.3% |
| 8 | Worcester County | $60.50 | 9.4% |
| 9 | Berkshire County | $58 | 10.2% |
| 10 | Dukes County | $51 | 9.7% |
| 11 | Barnstable County | $37.50 | 12.5% |
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Cash Rents Survey. County estimates released Aug 21, 2026; state and US estimates released Jul 31, 2026. Quick Stats item "RENT, CASH, CROPLAND, NON-IRRIGATED - EXPENSE, MEASURED IN $ / ACRE". Retrieved Oct 20, 2026; snapshot 2026-10-20.1. Precision: NASS's coefficient of variation for Middlesex is 14.3% (lower means more precise). Dollars as published, not adjusted for inflation. This product uses the NASS API but is not endorsed or certified by NASS.
What this measures
NASS asks farm operators what they pay in cash rent per acre, separately for irrigated cropland, non-irrigated cropland and pasture. State figures come out at the end of July; county figures follow in August. When too few farms in a county answer, NASS combines that county with others and publishes one "other counties" figure, so some counties have no figure of their own.