Pastureland values in North Dakota increased for the sixth year in a row, while cropland values remained steady, according to a May 11 announcement from North Dakota State University Extension and Ag Research News.
The continued growth in pastureland values is significant for farmers and ranchers across the state, as it reflects ongoing trends in land prices and rental rates. This information can help agricultural producers make informed decisions about their operations.
Bryon Parman, agricultural finance specialist at North Dakota State University Extension, said pastureland values rose approximately 7% from last year. Since 2021, statewide pastureland values have climbed from $972 to $1,556 per acre—a total increase of 37.5% over five years. These figures are based on data collected by the North Dakota Department of Trust Land’s annual land survey and organized by NDSU Extension region. The survey results are available online through the North Dakota County Rents and Prices Annual Survey.
“This year marks the first time since being tracked that every NDSU Extension region’s pastureland values were over $1,000 per acre,” said Parman. He noted that while some regions saw larger increases than others—such as the northwest where average prices jumped from $936 to $1,186 per acre—all regions experienced at least modest gains. The north central and southeast regions also posted notable growth with averages of $1,332 and $2,154 per acre respectively.
Parman cautioned that single-year changes may not reflect broader trends: “I recommend observing trends or multiyear movements rather than single-year variation for an accurate reflection of conditions.”
Pasture rents also increased but at a slower rate than land values; state average rents went up just over 4%. Some areas saw flat or slightly higher rents while others like the southeast experienced a small decline—from $38 to $35 per acre.
“The growth in pastureland values isn’t all that surprising given where beef cattle prices have been the last couple of years,” said Parman. “However, some people might have expected a much larger increase in pastureland rents from 2025 to 2026, which did not appear to have happened.”
Parman explained that high beef cattle prices usually result from low inventories; this means there is not immediate demand for more rented pasture despite strong beef markets. As such, rent prices do not always follow value increases closely.
North Dakota State University Extension and Ag Research News supports rural communities through education and research focused on agriculture across North Dakota according to its official website.
