Cash rent for pasture: Columbia County, Wisconsin
The average cash rent farmers paid per acre for pasture, from USDA's yearly cash rents survey.
The latest figures and how they have changed
Chart by TallyTill · tallytill.com
What the numbers say
- Columbia County's rent is 1.1 times the Wisconsin average and 3.1 times the US average.
- It is the 6th highest of the 24 Wisconsin counties NASS published for 2026.
- Since 2009 it has fallen 11.4%, from $57 to $50.50 an acre.
- Gaps are years with no separate Columbia figure: NASS ran no county survey in 2015 or 2018, in 2010, 2020 and 2024 it combined Columbia into "other counties", and NASS had no figure available in 2008. Nothing is filled in.
Every figure behind this chart
| Year | Columbia County | Wisconsin | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50.50 | $44.50 | $16.50 |
| 2025 | $51 | $45 | $15.50 |
| 2024 | Combined into "other counties" | $41 | $15.50 |
| 2023 | $34 | $37.50 | $15 |
| 2022 | $44.50 | $36 | $14 |
| 2021 | $38.50 | $37 | $13 |
| 2020 | Combined into "other counties" | $35 | $13 |
| 2019 | $57 | $40 | $13 |
| 2018 | No county survey that year | $40 | $12.50 |
| 2017 | $32.50 | $40 | $12.50 |
| 2016 | $33 | $35 | $13 |
| 2015 | No county survey that year | $34 | $14 |
| 2014 | $36.50 | $34 | $12 |
| 2013 | $56.50 | $35 | $12 |
| 2012 | $42.50 | $34 | $11.50 |
| 2011 | $39 | $32 | $11.50 |
| 2010 | Combined into "other counties" | $32 | $11 |
| 2009 | $57 | $36 | $11 |
| 2008 | Not available | $36 | $10.50 |
| 2007 | No figure | $38 | $10 |
| 2006 | No figure | $38 | $10.80 |
| 2005 | No figure | $38 | $10.30 |
| 2004 | No figure | $37 | $9.60 |
| 2003 | No figure | $36 | $9 |
| 2002 | No figure | $36 | $9.20 |
| 2001 | No figure | $36 | $9.20 |
| 2000 | No figure | $38 | $8.50 |
| 1999 | No figure | $38 | $8.90 |
| 1998 | No figure | $34 | $8.80 |
| 1997 | No figure | $30 | No figure |
| 1996 | No figure | $35 | No figure |
| 1995 | No figure | $31.40 | No figure |
| 1994 | No figure | $25.50 | No figure |
Every Wisconsin county, 2026
Darker shading means a higher figure. Values run from $22.50 an acre in Richland County to $76 an acre in Kenosha County.
- Under $29.50 (3 counties)
- $29.50 to under $33.50 (6 counties)
- $33.50 to under $47 (5 counties)
- $47 to under $55 (5 counties)
- $55 and over (5 counties)
- Not published separately (48 counties, $36 an acre combined)
NASS combined Adams County, Ashland County, Bayfield County, Burnett County, Calumet County, Chippewa County, Clark County, Crawford County, Dodge County, Door County, Douglas County, Dunn County, Florence County, Fond du Lac County, Forest County, Green Lake County, Iron County, Jefferson County, Kewaunee County, Langlade County, Lincoln County, Manitowoc County, Marinette County, Marquette County, Menominee County, Milwaukee County, Oconto County, Oneida County, Outagamie County, Ozaukee County, Pepin County, Pierce County, Price County, Racine County, Rock County, Rusk County, Sawyer County, Shawano County, Sheboygan County, St. Croix County, Taylor County, Vernon County, Vilas County, Walworth County, Washington County, Waushara County, Winnebago County and Wood County into "other counties", so they have no figure of their own.
| Rank | County | Figure (dollars an acre) | Precision (CV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenosha County | $76 | 7.5% |
| 2 | Lafayette County | $71 | 5.1% |
| 3 | Dane County | $61 | 9.0% |
| 4 | Iowa County | $57 | 7.8% |
| 5 | Brown County | $55 | 18.3% |
| 6 | Columbia County This county | $50.50 | 12.7% |
| 7 | Green County | $49.50 | 10.6% |
| 8 | Jackson County | $48.50 | 19.7% |
| 9 | Grant County | $47 | 6.4% |
| 9 | Waupaca County | $47 | 8.9% |
| 11 | La Crosse County | $45 | 9.0% |
| 12 | Juneau County | $44 | 5.4% |
| 13 | Marathon County | $40 | 13.5% |
| 14 | Portage County | $36 | 14.6% |
| 15 | Sauk County | $33.50 | 6.2% |
| 16 | Trempealeau County | $32 | 4.8% |
| 17 | Waukesha County | $31.50 | 3.9% |
| 18 | Barron County | $31 | 11.1% |
| 19 | Eau Claire County | $30 | 6.4% |
| 20 | Monroe County | $29.50 | 18.4% |
| 20 | Washburn County | $29.50 | 8.9% |
| 22 | Polk County | $27.50 | 5.7% |
| 23 | Buffalo County | $25 | 8.0% |
| 24 | Richland County | $22.50 | 8.3% |
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.