CRP guide
CRP payment rates by state
What the USDA Conservation Reserve Program pays per acre, by state and signup type. Nationally, general signup averages about $57 per acre per year and continuous (non-CREP) practices average about $145. The rate that actually binds your contract is your county soil rental rate, so treat the figures below as a planning range, not a quote.
Iowa has the highest general signup average in the bundled FSA state table at $173 per acre, $116 above the national general signup average. That is useful context, not a county offer.
| State | General signup ($/acre/year) | Continuous ($/acre/year) |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $173 | $242 |
| Illinois | $162 | $221 |
| Indiana | $143 | $218 |
| Missouri | $140 | $150 |
| Kentucky | $132 | $169 |
| Ohio | $123 | $233 |
| Wisconsin | $123 | $180 |
| Michigan | $116 | $130 |
| Maryland | $115 | $258 |
| Minnesota | $104 | $166 |
| Tennessee | $93 | $108 |
| Georgia | $79 | $72 |
| Pennsylvania | $76 | $164 |
| Arkansas | $73 | $90 |
| Mississippi | $69 | $92 |
| Nebraska | $67 | $40 |
| South Dakota | $67 | $55 |
| New York | $62 | $76 |
| Washington | $59 | $62 |
| Oregon | $52 | $35 |
| North Dakota | $48 | $62 |
| Virginia | $45 | $62 |
| Idaho | $43 | $47 |
| Kansas | $43 | $39 |
| California | $36 | $20 |
| Texas | $36 | $33 |
| Colorado | $30 | $24 |
| Montana | $30 | $23 |
| Oklahoma | $26 | $21 |
Ranked by general signup average. Iowa leads at $173/acre general, $242/acre continuous, reflecting its high cropland cash rents. That general rate is $116 above the national general signup average. States not listed use the national averages above as a planning starting point.
Why your county rate will differ
The state figures above are averages, and no CRP contract is written off a state average. FSA sets a soil rental rate for every county, built from the relative productivity of that county's soils and USDA NASS cash rent for the county. Your offer is then prorated: 85 percent of that rate for general signup, 90 percent for continuous. General signup rates are also capped at $240 per acre.
That is why two farms an hour apart can carry very different CRP rates, and why a state average is only a starting point. Cash rent, the input CRP rides on, swings by county and soil, so a productive county can sit well above its state average and a marginal one well below. It also means the offer is competitive: in general signup, FSA calculates your maximum rate in advance and you can offer at or below it, and offers are ranked on the Environmental Benefits Index.
Find your county's number
The honest way to move from a state average to a real planning number is to look at the specific parcel. AgriTerra reads your county's USDA NASS cash rent and your parcel's soils, and screens which USDA programs those acres are a likely fit for. Start with the guide to how CRP works, check how we source the table on how we get our numbers, or check your parcel directly below.
CRP enrollment is competitive and program authority is set by farm bill reauthorization. CRP enrollment is competitive - FY2026: only 2.2M of ~2.5M offered acres accepted under the 27M-acre cap. CRP authority currently extends through Sept 30, 2026 pending farm bill reauthorization.
CRP payment rates: frequently asked questions
- What are CRP payment rates?
- CRP payment rates are the annual per-acre rents USDA FSA pays to keep enrolled land in conservation cover. Nationally the general signup average is about $57 per acre and the continuous average about $145, but your rate is set from your county soil rental rate, so it varies by county and soil.
- Which state has the highest CRP rates?
- Among the states in this table, Iowa carries the highest general signup average at $173 per acre, reflecting its high cropland cash rents. Continuous-practice acres in the top Corn Belt states run higher still. Your own rate depends on your county and soils, not the state average.
- Are CRP payments made by county?
- Effectively, yes. FSA sets a soil rental rate for each county from the productivity of its soils and USDA NASS cash rent, then prorates it: 85 percent for general signup and 90 percent for continuous. The state figures here are averages across those county rates for planning; the binding number is your county soil rental rate.
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