Cropland Values Continue Higher in 2026

National cropland values climbed 3.3% year over year, with Illinois and Iowa extending five consecutive years of gains, according to USDA-NASS.

A report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service showed U.S. cropland values continued to climb in 2026, averaging $6,020 per acre, up $190, or 3.3%, from a year earlier. The increase extends a multi-year trend of resilient farmland appreciation.

Illinois and Iowa cropland values reached fresh record highs in 2026, rising to $10,200 and $10,700 per acre, respectively, as both states extended a five-year streak of annual gains.

Illinois farmland increased $350 per acre, or 3.6%, from 2025, while Iowa rose $400, or 3.9%, leaving Iowa with the highest average cropland value in the Corn Belt.

Since 2022, Iowa cropland values have climbed 21.2%, outpacing Illinois’ 17.2% gain, underscoring the continued strength of Midwest farmland despite a more challenging agricultural income environment.