Acres for Farming: Yields, Cash Rent, and the Farmer's Football Field

An acre is 43,560 square feet - or as US farmers call it, "the farmer's football field". Here is what an acre produces in the real world, and what it costs to rent one.

Updated April 2026 | Source: USDA NASS 2024 Crop Production Summary (January 2025 release)

The Farmer's Football Field

Farmer's football field

208.7 x 208.7 ft

1.00 acre exactly

The farmer's mental reference

Real football field (incl. end zones)

360 x 160 ft

1.32 acres

32% larger than one acre

Field of play only

300 x 160 ft

1.10 acres

10% larger than one acre

The phrase "farmer's football field" exists because one acre is the closest familiar landmark without being identical to a real football field. A farmer can walk one acre in a few minutes and quickly judge acreage by comparing to this mental model.

Major Crop Yields per Acre (USDA NASS 2024)

Source: USDA NASS 2024 Crop Production Summary, released January 2025. These are national averages; state and county yields vary significantly.

Crop2024 US Avg Yield
Corn (grain)183.1 bu/ac
Soybeans51.4 bu/ac
Winter wheat51.2 bu/ac
Rice7,700 lbs/ac (~171 bu)
Cotton (lint)788 lbs/ac
Hay (all types)2.43 tons/ac
Alfalfa hay3.28 tons/ac

Cash Rent per Acre by State (USDA NASS 2024)

Cash rent is the annual fee paid to lease cropland or pasture. High-productivity states (Iowa, Illinois) command premium rents.

StateCash Rent / Acre
Iowa$268/ac
Illinois$251/ac
Nebraska$242/ac
Indiana$211/ac
Ohio$178/ac
Minnesota$175/ac
National avg$155/ac
Kansas$81/ac
Texas$36/ac
National avg$14.50/ac

How Much Farmland Do I Need?

A 100-acre Iowa corn farm at 2024 USDA yields (183.1 bu/acre, ~$5.00/bu) would gross approximately $91,550 per year in corn revenue before input costs (seed, fertiliser, fuel, equipment). This is not a retirement scale operation.

Most full-time row-crop operations in the US Corn Belt farm 800 to 2,000+ acres to achieve viable economies of scale. A 100-acre farm is realistic for a part-time operation, a hobby farm with premium crops, or a cover-crop and pasture mix.

Crop insurance (APH math)

APH (Actual Production History) is the average yield per acre over 4-10 crop years, used by the USDA Risk Management Agency for crop insurance premium calculations. An Iowa corn grower with a 215 bu/acre APH can insure at a revenue protection level based on that figure. If you are buying farmland with existing APH records, request the APH documentation from the seller.

FAQ

What is the average corn yield per acre in the US?
The 2024 US average corn yield was 183.1 bushels per acre (USDA NASS 2024 Crop Production Summary). This was a strong yield year. State averages vary: Iowa and Illinois often reach 200+ bu/acre, while drought-prone states may fall below 130 bu/acre.
What is the average soybean yield per acre?
The 2024 US average soybean yield was 51.4 bushels per acre (USDA NASS 2024). Illinois and Iowa regularly achieve 55-62 bu/acre in good years. National trend has been gradual improvement of about 0.5 bu/acre per year.
What is cash rent per acre?
Cash rent is the annual fee to lease cropland or pasture. The 2024 national average cropland cash rent was $155/acre (USDA NASS). Iowa averaged $268/acre. Pasture rents average $14.50/acre nationally - much lower than cropland.
What is the farmer's football field?
The 'farmer's football field' is an informal US farming term for exactly one acre (43,560 sq ft, 208.7 x 208.7 ft). A real NFL field with end zones is 1.32 acres (32% larger). Farmers use this mental shortcut because one acre is the closest everyday reference.

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