Crop breakevens / Wheat
What an acre of wheat costs, and what it has to make
Kansas State's 2026 budget for wheat in rotation in south central Kansas comes to $297.01 an acre at 62 bushels, or $4.79 a bushel to cover every cost.
Updated October 5, 2026
- Cost per acre
- $297.01
- Budget yield
- 62 bu/acre
- Breakeven price
- $4.79 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 | 11% | $31.50 |
| Fertilizer | 35% | $102.86 |
| Chemical | 4% | $10.79 |
| Fuel/Labor | 31% | $90.65 |
| Land rent | 12% | $37.00 |
| Other | 8% | $24.21 |
| Total | $297.01 |
From Kansas State University, 2026 wheat (rotation) budget, south central Kansas (62 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.
- Fertilizer is the biggest line. $102.86 an acre, about a third of the total.
- Machinery ownership is next. $53.82 an acre of capital recovery (depreciation and interest on equipment), before fuel and repairs.
- Rent is low here. $37 an acre in this budget. Wheat ground elsewhere can rent for several times that, which changes the answer more than any input.
Ten years of USDA prices and yields
| Year | US average price received | US average yield |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5.06/bu | 53.3 bu/acre |
| 2024 | $5.52/bu | 51.2 bu/acre |
| 2023 | $6.96/bu | 48.7 bu/acre |
| 2022 | $8.83/bu | 46.5 bu/acre |
| 2021 | $7.63/bu | 44.3 bu/acre |
| 2020 | $5.05/bu | 49.7 bu/acre |
| 2019 | $4.58/bu | 51.7 bu/acre |
| 2018 | $5.16/bu | 47.6 bu/acre |
| 2017 | $4.72/bu | 46.4 bu/acre |
| 2016 | $3.89/bu | 52.7 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 swings the breakeven. Kansas State runs the same budget at three yields. At $5.45 wheat, returns over total costs are $13 an acre at 54 bushels, $41 at 62, and $72 at 71.
- Direct costs versus total. Direct costs are $206.19 an acre ($3.33 a bushel). The rest is rent and machinery ownership. In a tight year, direct costs are what you need to cover first.
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
- Soybeans breakeven $679.11/acre, $11.13/bu
- Rice breakeven $1,304.74/acre, $17.06/cwt
- Cotton breakeven $1,450.12/acre, $1.21/lb
- Grain sorghum breakeven $814.94/acre, $7.76/bu