WHARTON COUNTY — Average pasture rental rates in Wharton County rose about 17.3% from 2025 to 2026, placing the county at the top of Texas’ reported averages in a recent agricultural report.
A Texas A&M AgriLife summary of USDA’s 2026 cash-rent survey lists the county’s average at $30.50 per acre annually, compared with $8.60 statewide.
USDA’s 2025 county report listed Wharton County’s pasture rental rate at $26 per acre. The increase to $30.50 amounts to $4.50 more per acre annually.
AgriLife identifies Wharton County as having the highest reported county average in Texas for 2026. Its rate is about 3½ times the statewide average, with Falls County at $24.50 per acre and Titus County at $24.
For local cattle producers who lease grazing land, the increase can add up. At the reported county averages, renting a 100-acre pasture would cost $3,050 annually in 2026, compared with $2,600 in 2025 — an increase of $450 a year.
The same acreage at the 2026 statewide average would cost $860 annually. These calculations illustrate the averages; individual leases can differ.
The figures measure annual cash rent for pastureland. Land purchase prices and rental rates for cropland are separate measures.
According to USDA’s cash-rent methodology, estimates use information about rent paid and acreage rented. The county figure is an estimate, and individual agreements can vary.
For landowners considering a lease and ranchers budgeting for grazing acreage, the report offers a benchmark for comparing rental costs.
The report does not explain what drove Wharton County’s increase or why its average exceeds other counties. The figures establish the change in the reported average, rather than a uniform increase for every lease.
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