How much did a ton of hay (price farmers get) cost?
A ton of hay (price farmers get) cost $67.60 in 1985 and $166 in 2024: about 2.5 times as much.
Over the same years, prices in general (US inflation, measured by the consumer price index, CPI) rose about 2.9 times. That makes $67.60 in 1985 worth about $197 in 2024 money. So, after inflation, it is cheaper than in 1985: about 16% less in real terms.
The biggest change between two listed years came between 2010 and 2015, when it went up 27%, from $114 to $145.
Hay (farm price): price by year
| Year | Price | In 2024 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | $67.60 | $197 |
| 1990 | $80.60 | $193 |
| 1995 | $82.20 | $169 |
| 2000 | $84.60 | $154 |
| 2005 | $98.20 | $158 |
| 2010 | $114 | $164 |
| 2015 | $145 | $192 |
| 2020 | $156 | $189 |
| 2024 | $166 | $166 |
"In 2024 dollars" adjusts each amount for inflation with the CPI, so the years can be compared fairly. How this works.
Where the numbers come from
The average price US farmers received, from the US Department of Agriculture. Farm prices are averaged over the crop's "marketing year", which starts at harvest, and shown under the year it starts. The latest full year published is 2024. This is the price at the farm, far below what the same food costs in a shop.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service: Crop Values 2025 Summary (Feb 2026), Field and Miscellaneous Crops Price, United States; plus Crop Values Final Estimates bulletins for earlier years. View the source.
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