How Much Is a Bushel of Corn? Price Chart and Calculator

US farmers received an average of $4.45 a bushel for corn in August 2026, according to USDA NASS Agricultural Prices, released September 29, 2026. A bushel of shelled corn weighs 56 pounds, so that price works out to about 8 cents a pound. For the crop harvested this fall, USDA’s October 9, 2026 outlook expects a season-average price of $4.70 a bushel.

So how much is a bushel of corn for you? It depends on where and when you sell, the moisture of the grain and your local basis. Below you will find USDA’s dated prices, a monthly price chart, prices by state, the weight and metric conversions, the main price drivers, and a calculator that turns your bushels into dollars per acre, per ton and in total.

How much is a bushel of corn worth now?

There is no single price. USDA publishes three useful numbers, each measuring something different. The monthly price received is what farmers were paid on average in one month. The marketing-year average weights each month’s price by how much corn was sold that month, over the September to August year (USDA ERS, Feed Grains Database documentation). The season-average forecast is USDA’s estimate for the crop now being harvested.

The August 2026 figure was 19 cents above July and 49 cents above August 2025, NASS said. The 2025/26 marketing year closed at $4.16, just under the $4.24 of 2024/25.

USDA cut its 2026/27 forecast by 10 cents to $4.70 in October. The reason was more corn: the October 2026 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates raised the national yield to 181.2 bushels an acre and the crop to 16.0 billion bushels, and lifted expected ending stocks to 1.8 billion bushels. One month earlier, USDA had raised the forecast by 30 cents to $4.80 after a lower yield estimate.

Corn price chart by month

Monthly prices in 2026 started lower than in 2025, then moved above them in August. In the first seven months of 2026, the US average stayed between $4.12 and $4.48 a bushel.

When farmers sell

The yearly average is weighted by sales, so the busy months count most. In the 2025/26 marketing year, October accounted for 12.9% of US corn sales and January 11.4%, while May took only 5.1%, NASS data show. In 2024/25 the harvest peak was sharper: 16.2% of the year’s sales came in October and 15.8% in January. The timing of your own sales can therefore move your average price above or below USDA’s.

Corn also compares differently with other crops month to month. In August 2026, NASS put the average price received at $6.23 a bushel for all wheat and $12.10 for soybeans, against $4.45 for corn. Because the three crops weigh different amounts per bushel (60 pounds for wheat and soybeans, 56 for corn), compare them per acre of expected revenue, not per bushel.

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Average price US farmers received for corn, by month

US dollars per bushel, January to August, 2025 and 2026

Corn price chart: season averages since 2019

Over a longer run, the season-average price has swung by almost $3 a bushel. It was $3.56 for the 2019/20 crop, climbed to $6.00 in 2021/22 and peaked at $6.54 in 2022/23, then fell back to the low $4 range (USDA ERS Feed Grains Yearbook tables, October 2026). The 2026/27 figure is a projection and will change with each monthly USDA report.

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US season-average corn price received by farmers

US dollars per bushel, marketing years starting September 1; 2026/27 is a USDA projection

Prices for past crops are useful for planning, but they do not tell you what an elevator will pay next week. For that you need the futures price and your local basis, explained below. For more on how futures trade, see our article on agricultural commodity trading in corn futures, and our separate overview of the bushel of corn price outlook.

What a bushel weighs, and how to convert it

A bushel was once a measure of volume. Today corn is traded by weight. A USDA NASS conversion table lists a bushel of shelled corn at 56 pounds (25.4 kg) and a bushel of husked ear corn at 70 pounds (31.8 kg) (USDA NASS, field crop weights and conversion factors). The prices on this page are for shelled corn (corn for grain).

The metric ton figure uses the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service definition of 2,204.62 pounds per metric ton (USDA FAS, Grain: World Markets and Trade, October 2026). Divide 2,204.62 by 56 and you get 39.37 bushels in a metric ton. That matters when you compare US prices with export bids, which are quoted per ton.

Moisture changes how many bushels you get paid for

Buyers deduct weight from corn that is wetter than their moisture standard. Purdue Extension’s examples dry corn to 15.5% moisture and show the math: drying corn from 25% to 15.5% moisture removes about 11.24% of the original weight as water alone, a water shrink of 1.18% per point of moisture. Buyers who use a constant shrink factor usually set it between 1.2% and 1.5% a point, which also covers handling loss (Purdue Extension, NCH-61). Ask each buyer which factor they use; a higher factor means fewer paid bushels from the same load.

Using Purdue’s method with a constant factor of 1.3% a point, drying 1,000 pounds of 25% corn to 15.5% gives a total shrink of 12.35%. Water accounts for 11.24%, so the remaining 1.11% is charged as handling loss. Iowa State research cited in the same publication found on-farm handling losses of 0.22% to 1.71%, with a three-year average of 0.82%. Comparing a buyer’s factor with the 1.18% water-only figure tells you how much handling loss you are paying for.

Why your price differs: cash price, futures and basis

The price a local elevator offers is the cash price. It equals the futures price plus the basis. The basis is set by each buyer and reflects local supply and demand, grain quality and the cost of storing and shipping the grain. In Nebraska, basis is negative most of the time, which traders call “under” the futures price (University of Nebraska CropWatch, 2017). A basis of minus 30 cents on a $4.50 futures price gives a cash bid of $4.20.

Nebraska Extension suggests judging a basis against its own history at that location, not against zero, and keeping your own record of local elevator bids.

Prices by state

State averages show how much location matters. In August 2026, NASS reported $5.53 a bushel in North Carolina and $4.07 in North Dakota. Iowa averaged $4.44 and Illinois $4.55. Prices rose from a year earlier in every state shown: Iowa was $3.89 in August 2025, and Illinois $3.97.

State figures are averages of many sales, including grain sold under contracts priced earlier. Your own bid on a given day can sit well above or below them.

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Corn price received in August 2026, selected states

US dollars per bushel, monthly state average; US average $4.45

What drives corn prices

Corn prices move with the balance between how much is grown and how much is used. USDA’s monthly report is the main scorecard, and markets react to each release.

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Where US corn is expected to go in 2026/27

Million bushels, USDA projection; total use 16,305

1. Yield and crop size

The October 2026 change is a clear example. USDA added 2.7 bushels an acre to its yield estimate and 234 million bushels to the crop, and the price forecast fell 10 cents. In September the opposite happened: a lower yield estimate raised the forecast by 30 cents. USDA’s early-season yield projection is a weather-adjusted trend that assumes normal summer weather, so weather news during the season moves the forecast.

2. Feed, ethanol and other domestic use

Most US corn is used at home. For 2026/27, USDA expects 6.0 billion bushels for feed and residual use and 5.65 billion bushels for ethanol and its by-products, out of 16.3 billion bushels of total use. Demand from livestock feeders and ethanol plants therefore matters as much as weather.

3. Exports and world competition

USDA expects 3.3 billion bushels of US corn exports in 2026/27. Mexico was the largest buyer in 2025/26 at about 26.2 million metric tons, followed by Japan at 14.9 million tons and South Korea at 8.8 million tons (USDA ERS Feed Grains Yearbook, table 22). US corn competes with Argentina, Brazil and Ukraine. On October 6, 2026, US Gulf corn was bid at $239 a metric ton, against $219 for Argentina and $231 for Brazil, as reported by USDA FAS from International Grains Council data. At 39.37 bushels a ton, the US Gulf bid equals about $6.07 a bushel, before the cost of moving grain from the farm to the Gulf.

4. Stocks

Ending stocks are the corn left over at the end of the marketing year. The September 30 Grain Stocks report raised USDA’s estimate of old-crop stocks, and the October report put 2026/27 ending stocks at 1.8 billion bushels, 282 million more than in September, and the price forecast fell at the same time.

5. Livestock prices

Corn is the main feed grain, so livestock prices and corn prices are linked. NASS tracks this with feed price ratios. In August 2026, 100 pounds of live hog was worth as much as 15.8 bushels of corn, down from 20.2 bushels a year earlier. For steers and heifers, the ratio fell from 60.4 to 52.6 bushels. A lower ratio means corn is relatively more expensive for hog and cattle feeders than it was a year before.

6. Production costs and the loan rate

Costs do not set the market price, but they decide whether a given price is profitable. The national marketing loan rate for corn, a support level under federal farm programs, is $2.42 a bushel for 2026/27 in the ERS yearbook tables, well below current market prices.

Reports to watch

• WASDE (monthly): USDA’s supply, use and season-average price forecast. The two most recent editions came out on September 11 and October 9, 2026.
• Agricultural Prices (monthly): NASS prices received by state and for the US, published near the end of each month for the month before.
• Grain Stocks (quarterly): how much corn is held on and off farms. The September 30 report changed USDA’s balance sheet in October 2026.
• FAS Grain: World Markets and Trade (monthly): export bids and world supply, useful for comparing US corn with Brazil and Argentina.

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Corn export bids by origin, September vs October 2026

US dollars per metric ton, free on board

Is the price above what corn costs to grow?

In Illinois, at the $5 corn price farmdoc assumes for 2027, the answer is “only just”. The University of Illinois crop budgets for 2027, published September 1, 2026, put break-even prices to cover all costs, including cash rent, at just under $5 a bushel in northern and central Illinois and $5.39 in southern Illinois. The same study raised its 2026 budget price from $4.50 to $4.95 a bushel after a late-summer rally in futures.

The Illinois economists also note that a 50-cent move in corn prices shifts returns by more than $100 an acre on productive Illinois farmland. With USDA’s season-average forecast at $4.70, timing your sales and knowing your own cost per bushel matter more than the national average.

▶ Precision agriculture for beginners: six simple steps to cut wasted seed, fertilizer and fuel on your farm. · 4:18

How to turn bushels into revenue

Follow these steps to estimate what your crop is worth. The calculator below does the math for you.

1. Estimate your bushels. Multiply acres by your expected yield in bushels an acre.
2. Find the futures price. Use the contract month you plan to deliver against, for example December for harvest sales.
3. Add your local basis. Ask two or three buyers for their bid; the difference from futures is the basis.
4. Deduct moisture shrink. Multiply the points above 15.5% by the buyer’s shrink factor.
5. Multiply. Paid bushels times the cash price gives gross revenue before drying, trucking and storage costs.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

Where satellite field data fits

Price is half of revenue; the other half is how many bushels each field produces. Satellite images show where crop growth is lagging during the season, which helps with scouting and yield expectations before you price grain. The Farmonaut platform provides this on web and phone apps, and developers can use the Farmonaut Satellite API with its API developer docs here. A satellite image shows a change in vegetation, not its cause, so field checks are still needed.

Related pages on our site: crop loan and insurance, fleet management, traceability, carbon footprinting and the admin app for agribusinesses. For a wider view of farm technology, see our guide to ag technology.

▶ How satellite NDVI maps show where crop growth lags across a corn farm. · 4:09

For a closer look at a related question, see our guide: ADM Grain Prices: Market Trends & Insights.

If this topic matters to you, read Corn Prices Rise: US Agricultural Exports on the Rise next.

FAQ

How much is a bushel of corn today?

The latest USDA monthly figure is $4.45 a bushel, the US average price farmers received in August 2026 (NASS, released September 29, 2026). Local cash bids differ by place and by day; check your elevator and the futures price for a same-day quote.

How much does a bushel of corn weigh?

A bushel of shelled corn weighs 56 pounds, or about 25.4 kg. A bushel of husked ear corn is 70 pounds, because the cob adds weight. Buyers deduct shrink for grain wetter than their moisture standard; Purdue Extension’s examples use 15.5%.

How much do farmers get for a bushel of corn over a whole year?

USDA’s marketing-year average for the 2025/26 crop was $4.16 a bushel, and it forecasts $4.70 for the 2026/27 crop (WASDE, October 9, 2026). Individual farmers get more or less depending on when they sell and their basis.

How many bushels of corn are in a ton?

About 35.7 bushels in a short ton of 2,000 pounds and 39.4 bushels in a metric ton. To convert a price per bushel to a price per metric ton, multiply by 39.37.

Why is my elevator’s price lower than the futures price?

The difference is the basis. It covers the buyer’s costs of handling, storing and shipping grain to where it is used or exported, and it moves with local supply and demand. In Nebraska, basis is negative most of the time.

Will corn prices go up?

Nobody can say for sure. USDA lowered its 2026/27 forecast from $4.80 to $4.70 in October after raising its crop estimate. The next WASDE report, and changes in yield, exports and ethanol use, will move the forecast again.

What is a good price for a bushel of corn?

One that covers your full cost per bushel. Illinois budgets for 2027 put break-even near $5 in central and northern Illinois. Work out your own figure from your yields, rent and input costs.

How we checked the numbers

Every price on this page comes from a dated USDA release: NASS Agricultural Prices (September 29, 2026), the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (September 11 and October 9, 2026), the ERS Feed Grains Yearbook tables (run October 13, 2026) and the FAS Grain: World Markets and Trade report (October 2026). Weights come from a USDA NASS conversion table, shrink factors from Purdue Extension, basis from University of Nebraska Extension and break-even prices from the University of Illinois. We do not quote futures prices because they change every trading day. Projections are USDA’s, not ours, and are updated monthly.