North Carolina → Wayne
Wayne County, North Carolina
Pasture here rented for $58.50 an acre in 2026, $24 above the North Carolina median of $34.50. That's the highest among the 51 North Carolina counties reporting that year, and the 92nd percentile nationally.
Put that in lease terms. On a quarter section of 160 acres, the gap between this county and the state median is $3,840 a year. A difference that looks small per acre is large at that scale.
Across North Carolina's counties, the middle half of county averages in 2026 runs $29 to $47 an acre. Individual leases spread wider than county averages do, because grass, water, fencing and term length all move the price. An offer far outside this band should come with a reason the other side can say out loud.
Since 2009, this county's rate has risen 38 percent: $42.50 then, $58.50 in 2026. A lease left alone over that stretch has been repricing itself by default.
The counties next door
The comparison made at the kitchen table is with the neighbors. This year, rates across the county line go from $32 to $56.50 an acre. Every bordering county NASS tracks is listed at its most recent published rate.
Every year on record
| Year | $/acre |
|---|---|
| 2009 | $42.50 |
| 2010 | $61.50 |
| 2011 | $43 |
| 2012 | $48 |
| 2014 | $49 |
| 2016 | $50 |
| 2017 | $42 |
| 2020 | $50.50 |
| 2021 | $50.50 |
| 2022 | $40.50 |
| 2025 | $48.50 |
| 2026 | $58.50 |
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