Crop breakevens / Soybeans
What an acre of soybeans costs, and what it has to make
Iowa State's 2026 budget for herbicide-tolerant soybeans following corn comes to $679.11 an acre at 61 bushels, or $11.13 a bushel to cover every cost.
Updated October 5, 2026
- Cost per acre
- $679.11
- Budget yield
- 61 bu/acre
- Breakeven price
- $11.13 per bu
Run it with your numbersOpens the free calculator with these numbers filled in, ready to change.
Where the money goes
| Per acre | Share | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | 9% | $63.10 |
| Fertilizer | 11% | $74.88 |
| Chemical | 11% | $75.00 |
| Fuel/Labor | 23% | $156.26 |
| Land rent | 40% | $274.00 |
| Other | 5% | $35.87 |
| Total | $679.11 |
From Iowa State University, Estimated Costs of Crop Production in Iowa 2026 (herbicide-tolerant soybeans following corn, 61 bu), grouped into Fencerow's six lines. Fuel/Labor in these examples covers all machinery costs (ownership, fuel, repairs), hauling, drying, irrigation, and labor. Insurance, interest, and miscellaneous costs are under Other.
- Rent is more than 40% of the total. The same $274 cash rent equivalent as corn sits on a cheaper crop, so it makes up about 40% of the soybean budget.
- No nitrogen to buy. The budget has no nitrogen line. Fertilizer is $74.88 an acre for phosphate, potash, and lime.
- Herbicide is the main chemical cost. $75 an acre. Iowa State notes the budget includes no insecticide or fungicide, so add those if you spray them.
Ten years of USDA prices and yields
| Year | US average price received | US average yield |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10.50/bu | 53 bu/acre |
| 2024 | $10.00/bu | 50.7 bu/acre |
| 2023 | $12.40/bu | 50.6 bu/acre |
| 2022 | $14.20/bu | 49.6 bu/acre |
| 2021 | $13.30/bu | 51.7 bu/acre |
| 2020 | $10.80/bu | 51 bu/acre |
| 2019 | $8.57/bu | 47.4 bu/acre |
| 2018 | $8.48/bu | 50.6 bu/acre |
| 2017 | $9.33/bu | 49.3 bu/acre |
| 2016 | $9.47/bu | 51.9 bu/acre |
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Quick Stats (national, marketing-year price received; final annual yield). Years USDA hasn't published yet are left out, not estimated. This product uses the NASS API but is not endorsed or certified by NASS.
What changes the answer for your farm
- Yield matters more per bushel. At 55 bushels Iowa State's soybean budget is $626.00 an acre, or $11.38 a bushel. At 67 bushels it's $734.02, or $10.96. More bushels spread the fixed costs thinner.
- Soybeans set up next year's corn. Iowa State's corn budget assumes 159 pounds of nitrogen after soybeans and 194 after corn. The rotation shows up in next year's fertilizer bill, not this year's.
- Your rent and your seed. Rent first, then seed ($63.10 here at 140,000 seeds). Those two lines explain most of the gap between this budget and your farm.
These are one university's numbers, not yours. Put in your own costs, yield, and price, and keep them by field from year to year. Free for up to three fields.
Other crops
- Corn breakeven $911.98/acre, $4.32/bu
- Rice breakeven $1,304.74/acre, $17.06/cwt
- Wheat breakeven $297.01/acre, $4.79/bu
- Cotton breakeven $1,450.12/acre, $1.21/lb
- Grain sorghum breakeven $814.94/acre, $7.76/bu