Rural Mainstreet Index

This month's Rural Mainstreet Index tells a story of tough times for farmers, but there's a glimmer of hope in the land value numbers.

A new report shows some positive economic news for the first time in months, but not everyone in farm country is feeling the same optimism.

For only the second time in 2025, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index climbed above a growth-neutral.

For the eighth time this year, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index sank below a growth-neutral score of 50.0.

The August Rural Mainstreet Index covering a multi-state region shows one-fifth of grain farmers will experience a negative cash flow in 2025.

For the sixth time this year, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index sank below growth neutral.

The May Rural Mainstreet Index fell below the growth-neutral (a reading of 50.0) for the 19th time in the past 20 months.  The ten-state region covered by the Index came in at 44 during May, up from 40 in April.   “According to the bank CEOs in our survey, the economic outlook for 2025 farm income remains weak,” said Ernie Goss of Creighton University. “Almost one in four bankers ra...

The overall Rural Mainstreet Index fell below growth neutral in March.  This marks the 18th time that’s happened in the past 19 months.   When comparing 2025 farm income against 2024 farm income, only 3.7% of bankers expect an increase, while 63% predict an income drop.  For the tenth time...

The January 2025 Rural Mainstreet Index fell below growth neutral for the 16th time in the past 17 months.   For the eighth time in the past nine months, farmland prices took a tumble.  On average, bank CEOs who responded to the monthly survey expect annual cash rents of $278 per acre of non-irrigated, non-pasture farmland.  Farm equipme...

After advancing above growth neutral in November for the first time since 2023, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index sank below the 50.0 reading in December.  That’s according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a ten-state region dependent on agriculture or energy.  The index fell fro...