Farm & food prices · Production and land
Cash rent for pasture: Jefferson County, Montana
The average cash rent farmers paid per acre for pasture, 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
Jefferson County, 2026
$8 an acre
Up 17.6% from $6.80 in 2025
Montana, 2026
$9.10 an acre
Up 9.6% from $8.30 in 2025
United States, 2026
$16.50 an acre
Up 6.5% from $15.50 in 2025
Jefferson CountyMontanaUnited States
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What the numbers say
- Jefferson County's rent is 0.9 times the Montana average and 0.5 times the US average.
- It is tied for the 12th lowest of the 48 Montana counties NASS published for 2026.
- Since 2022 it has fallen 12.1%, from $9.10 to $8 an acre.
Every figure behind this chart
| Year | Jefferson County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $8 | $9.10 | $16.50 |
| 2025 | $6.80 | $8.30 | $15.50 |
| 2024 | $6.50 | $8.20 | $15.50 |
| 2023 | $9.10 | $7.90 | $15 |
| 2022 | $9.10 | $7.80 | $14 |
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Every Montana county, 2026
Darker shading means a higher figure. Values run from $4.40 an acre in Treasure County to $29 an acre in Ravalli County.
- Under $7.30 (9 counties)
- $7.30 to under $8.70 (10 counties)
- $8.70 to under $10.50 (7 counties)
- $10.50 to under $13.50 (12 counties)
- $13.50 and over (10 counties)
- Not published separately (8 counties, $12.50 an acre combined)
NASS combined Beaverhead County, Deer Lodge County, Granite County, Lewis and Clark County, Liberty County, Lincoln County, McCone County and Mineral County into "other counties", so they have no figure of their own.
| Rank | County | Figure (dollars an acre) | Precision (CV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ravalli County | $29 | 5.7% |
| 2 | Lake County | $22 | 15.7% |
| 3 | Pondera County | $16.50 | 11.5% |
| 4 | Flathead County | $16 | 8.7% |
| 5 | Gallatin County | $14.50 | 12.1% |
| 5 | Judith Basin County | $14.50 | 5.4% |
| 7 | Cascade County | $14 | 8.1% |
| 8 | Broadwater County | $13.50 | 7.8% |
| 8 | Petroleum County | $13.50 | 8.6% |
| 8 | Wibaux County | $13.50 | 6.3% |
| 11 | Golden Valley County | $12.50 | 21.5% |
| 12 | Park County | $12 | 36.6% |
| 12 | Toole County | $12 | 24.5% |
| 14 | Fallon County | $11.50 | 7.2% |
| 14 | Teton County | $11.50 | 5.9% |
| 16 | Fergus County | $11 | 9.2% |
| 16 | Madison County | $11 | 14.8% |
| 16 | Valley County | $11 | 9.4% |
| 19 | Carter County | $10.50 | 21.2% |
| 19 | Chouteau County | $10.50 | 6.2% |
| 19 | Daniels County | $10.50 | 8.8% |
| 19 | Hill County | $10.50 | 10.5% |
| 23 | Carbon County | $10 | 7.2% |
| 23 | Phillips County | $10 | 6.6% |
| 25 | Blaine County | $9.60 | 11.7% |
| 26 | Stillwater County | $9.50 | 6.8% |
| 27 | Roosevelt County | $9.30 | 5.3% |
| 28 | Missoula County | $8.70 | 7.4% |
| 28 | Powell County | $8.70 | 14.3% |
| 30 | Richland County | $8.60 | 10.1% |
| 30 | Silver Bow County | $8.60 | 9.6% |
| 32 | Meagher County | $8.50 | 14.1% |
| 33 | Dawson County | $8.30 | 9.1% |
| 34 | Sweet Grass County | $8.10 | 17.6% |
| 35 | Glacier County | $8 | 11.5% |
| 35 | Jefferson County This county | $8 | 12.4% |
| 35 | Sheridan County | $8 | 5.5% |
| 38 | Garfield County | $7.40 | 17.0% |
| 39 | Powder River County | $7.30 | 7.2% |
| 40 | Wheatland County | $7.10 | 6.8% |
| 41 | Big Horn County | $6.90 | 7.2% |
| 42 | Rosebud County | $6.70 | 5.5% |
| 43 | Yellowstone County | $6.50 | 23.5% |
| 44 | Prairie County | $6 | 8.3% |
| 45 | Custer County | $5.90 | 7.6% |
| 46 | Musselshell County | $5.60 | 5.1% |
| 47 | Sanders County | $4.70 | 5.0% |
| 48 | Treasure County | $4.40 | 11.5% |
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, PASTURELAND - EXPENSE, MEASURED IN $ / ACRE". Retrieved Oct 20, 2026; snapshot 2026-10-20.1. Precision: NASS's coefficient of variation for Jefferson is 12.4% (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.