Farmland rental rates held steady in Huron
- Apr 8
- 2 min read
By John Miner
Farmland rental rates held steady in Huron County in 2025, while several counties saw drops, according to a University of Guelph report by the department of food, agricultural and resource economics.
Based on an online survey, the report pegged the median cash rent for average quality Huron County cropland at $350 per tillable acre, the same as in 2024.
That’s the highest level reported in the survey, matched by Oxford County and Chatham-Kent.
The median cash rent for neighbouring Perth County in 2025 was $313 an acre, down from $350 in 2024.
Middlesex County rental rate in 2025 was also $313 an acre, down from $325 in 2024.
Other counties that saw drops in 2025 compared to the year before included Brant at $215, down from $250; Elgin at $300, down from $350; Lambton $300, down from $350; Norfolk $250, down from $325; Leeds and Grenville $100, down from $175; Simcoe $133, down from $150; and Waterloo at $243, down from $250.
Staying unchanged besides Huron included Bruce, Dufferin, Essex, Grey, Niagara, Oxford, Chatham-Kent and Wellington.
The only areas reporting an increase in rental rates in 2025 were Northumberland at $100 an acre, up from $75, and Ottawa at $155, up from $125.
The lowest median cash rental for average cropland was reported for Lanark County at $88 an acre.
Conducted between Jan. 6 and Feb. 28, 2026, the survey had 943 respondents.
The report cautions that rental rates and farmland values can vary considerably depending on individual parcel characteristics.
“For this reason, the results will not be useful in assigning a particular rental rate or land value to a specific parcel,” the report stated.
In addition to surveying rental rates, the University of Guelph department asked people for an estimate of the typical price per tillable acre for average quality cropland in their region.
The median estimate for Huron County by 22 respondents was $30,000, the same as Middlesex, but lower than Perth at $35,000.
The highest estimate was for land in Oxford at $37,500. The lowest was Manitoulin at $3,500.
Asked if they expect farmland values to increase in their region over the next 12 months, 51 per cent replied they expected they would stay the same; 24 per cent anticipate an increase; 18 per cent were unsure and eight per cent expect a drop.
Survey respondents were also asked for their estimate of the farmland purchases by farmers versus non-farmers.
In Huron the estimate was 90 per cent purchased by farmers, while Oxford and Perth put the percentage at 95. For Middlesex, the estimate was 80 per cent.
In the York region the estimate was zero.
Interesting to see Huron holding steady while nearby counties dipped. From what I’ve seen, farmland pricing often reflects more than just soil quality. It’s also about trust, long term relationships, and how secure people feel about the season ahead. A lot of families rent the same land for years, so stability can matter just as much as squeezing out a few extra dollars per acre. It reminds me of how people browse realtystore listings, not only for price, but for the bigger picture and future potential. In farming, that same mindset applies. Steady rates can actually feel reassuring when everything else seems to shift so fast.