Farm & food prices · Production and land
Cash rent for non-irrigated cropland: Lake County, Montana
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
Lake County, 2026
$42.50 an acre
Up 37.1% from $31 in 2025
Montana, 2026
$33 an acre
Up 1.5% from $32.50 in 2025
United States, 2026
$146 an acre
Down 0.7% from $147 in 2025
Lake CountyMontanaUnited States
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What the numbers say
- Lake County's rent is 1.3 times the Montana average and 0.3 times the US average.
- It is tied for the 3rd highest of the 40 Montana counties NASS published for 2026.
- Since 2012 it has risen 44.1%, from $29.50 to $42.50 an acre.
- Gaps are years with no separate Lake figure: NASS ran no county survey in 2015 or 2018, in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2022 it combined Lake into "other counties", and NASS had no figure available in 2008. Nothing is filled in.
Every figure behind this chart
| Year | Lake County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $42.50 | $33 | $146 |
| 2025 | $31 | $32.50 | $147 |
| 2024 | $31.50 | $30.50 | $146 |
| 2023 | $26.50 | $30 | $142 |
| 2022 | Combined into "other counties" | $31 | $135 |
| 2021 | $23 | $29 | $128 |
| 2020 | $30 | $28 | $126 |
| 2019 | $27 | $27 | $127 |
| 2018 | No county survey that year | $26.50 | $125 |
| 2017 | $27 | $26 | $123 |
| 2016 | $26.50 | $26.50 | $125 |
| 2015 | No county survey that year | $26 | $133 |
| 2014 | $30 | $25.50 | $130 |
| 2013 | Combined into "other counties" | $23.50 | $125 |
| 2012 | $29.50 | $23 | $115 |
| 2011 | Combined into "other counties" | $23.50 | $101 |
| 2010 | Combined into "other counties" | $22 | No figure |
| 2009 | Combined into "other counties" | $21.50 | No figure |
| 2008 | Not available | $20.50 | No figure |
| 2007 | No figure | $19.50 | No figure |
| 2006 | No figure | $20 | No figure |
| 2005 | No figure | $19.50 | No figure |
| 2004 | No figure | $18.90 | No figure |
| 2003 | No figure | $18.50 | No figure |
| 2002 | No figure | $18.50 | No figure |
| 2001 | No figure | $18 | No figure |
| 2000 | No figure | $17.30 | No figure |
| 1999 | No figure | $18 | No figure |
| 1998 | No figure | $17 | No figure |
| 1997 | No figure | $17 | No figure |
| 1996 | No figure | $17 | No figure |
| 1995 | No figure | $15.30 | No figure |
| 1994 | No figure | $15.20 | No figure |
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Every Montana county, 2026
Darker shading means a higher figure. Values run from $18.50 an acre in Beaverhead County to $45.50 an acre in Cascade County.
- Under $26.50 (8 counties)
- $26.50 to under $29 (6 counties)
- $29 to under $32.50 (8 counties)
- $32.50 to under $38.50 (10 counties)
- $38.50 and over (8 counties)
- Not published separately (16 counties, $24.50 an acre combined)
NASS combined Broadwater County, Custer County, Deer Lodge County, Granite County, Lewis and Clark County, Lincoln County, Madison County, Meagher County, Mineral County, Missoula County, Petroleum County, Powder River County, Powell County, Silver Bow County, Sweet Grass County and Treasure County into "other counties", so they have no figure of their own.
| Rank | County | Figure (dollars an acre) | Precision (CV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cascade County | $45.50 | 5.5% |
| 2 | Pondera County | $44 | 4.1% |
| 3 | Flathead County | $42.50 | 5.1% |
| 3 | Lake County This county | $42.50 | 4.8% |
| 3 | Sheridan County | $42.50 | 2.7% |
| 6 | Teton County | $42 | 14.5% |
| 7 | Gallatin County | $39 | 6.7% |
| 8 | Prairie County | $38.50 | 3.8% |
| 9 | Chouteau County | $36.50 | 4.1% |
| 10 | Dawson County | $35.50 | 3.7% |
| 10 | Ravalli County | $35.50 | 9.6% |
| 12 | Fergus County | $34.50 | 3.7% |
| 13 | Judith Basin County | $34 | 6.4% |
| 14 | Daniels County | $33 | 3.3% |
| 14 | Richland County | $33 | 6.6% |
| 16 | Carbon County | $32.50 | 8.8% |
| 16 | Park County | $32.50 | 2.5% |
| 16 | Wibaux County | $32.50 | 10.4% |
| 19 | Hill County | $30.50 | 5.0% |
| 19 | Phillips County | $30.50 | 15.1% |
| 19 | Toole County | $30.50 | 12.0% |
| 22 | Roosevelt County | $30 | 5.8% |
| 23 | Liberty County | $29.50 | 3.5% |
| 24 | Blaine County | $29 | 4.4% |
| 24 | Garfield County | $29 | 3.8% |
| 24 | Glacier County | $29 | 3.9% |
| 27 | Golden Valley County | $28.50 | 2.8% |
| 28 | Big Horn County | $27.50 | 6.3% |
| 28 | Yellowstone County | $27.50 | 5.7% |
| 30 | McCone County | $27 | 6.3% |
| 30 | Valley County | $27 | 6.5% |
| 32 | Fallon County | $26.50 | 5.3% |
| 33 | Rosebud County | $25 | 3.5% |
| 34 | Musselshell County | $23 | 6.1% |
| 35 | Jefferson County | $22.50 | 3.5% |
| 36 | Carter County | $21.50 | 21.4% |
| 36 | Sanders County | $21.50 | 8.5% |
| 36 | Wheatland County | $21.50 | 12.2% |
| 39 | Stillwater County | $20 | 4.7% |
| 40 | Beaverhead County | $18.50 | 14.5% |
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 Lake is 4.8% (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.