Illinois Corn Price — USDA NASS Monthly & MYA Data
Illinois Corn price reached $4.55/bu in August 2026 — about $0.10/bu above the US average of $4.45/bu. Monthly price received by producers, sourced directly from USDA NASS.
Corn monthly price trend
Illinois vs the US average, last 24 months of USDA NASS data
| Month | Illinois price | US average |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-01 | $3.76/bu | $3.79/bu |
| 2020-02 | $3.71/bu | $3.78/bu |
| 2020-03 | $3.65/bu | $3.68/bu |
| 2020-04 | $3.21/bu | $3.29/bu |
| 2020-05 | $3.23/bu | $3.20/bu |
| 2020-06 | $3.17/bu | $3.16/bu |
| 2020-07 | $3.26/bu | $3.21/bu |
| 2020-08 | $3.12/bu | $3.12/bu |
| 2020-09 | $3.40/bu | $3.41/bu |
| 2020-10 | $3.63/bu | $3.61/bu |
| 2020-11 | $3.75/bu | $3.79/bu |
| 2020-12 | $3.86/bu | $3.97/bu |
| 2021-01 | $4.10/bu | $4.24/bu |
| 2021-02 | $4.69/bu | $4.75/bu |
| 2021-03 | $4.96/bu | $4.89/bu |
| 2021-04 | $5.41/bu | $5.31/bu |
| 2021-05 | $6.05/bu | $5.91/bu |
| 2021-06 | $6.06/bu | $6.00/bu |
| 2021-07 | $6.25/bu | $6.12/bu |
| 2021-08 | $6.34/bu | $6.32/bu |
| 2021-09 | $5.16/bu | $5.47/bu |
| 2021-10 | $4.98/bu | $5.02/bu |
| 2021-11 | $5.27/bu | $5.26/bu |
| 2021-12 | $5.41/bu | $5.47/bu |
| 2022-01 | $5.48/bu | $5.58/bu |
| 2022-02 | $6.23/bu | $6.09/bu |
| 2022-03 | $6.65/bu | $6.56/bu |
| 2022-04 | $7.16/bu | $7.07/bu |
| 2022-05 | $7.47/bu | $7.26/bu |
| 2022-06 | $7.47/bu | $7.38/bu |
| 2022-07 | $7.32/bu | $7.25/bu |
| 2022-08 | $7.15/bu | $7.24/bu |
| 2022-09 | $6.70/bu | $7.09/bu |
| 2022-10 | $6.39/bu | $6.49/bu |
| 2022-11 | $6.29/bu | $6.49/bu |
| 2022-12 | $6.39/bu | $6.58/bu |
| 2023-01 | $6.47/bu | $6.63/bu |
| 2023-02 | $6.65/bu | $6.80/bu |
| 2023-03 | $6.54/bu | $6.67/bu |
| 2023-04 | $6.54/bu | $6.70/bu |
| 2023-05 | $6.46/bu | $6.54/bu |
| 2023-06 | $6.38/bu | $6.49/bu |
| 2023-07 | $6.12/bu | $6.22/bu |
| 2023-08 | $5.61/bu | $5.73/bu |
| 2023-09 | $5.04/bu | $5.21/bu |
| 2023-10 | $4.80/bu | $4.93/bu |
| 2023-11 | $4.67/bu | $4.66/bu |
| 2023-12 | $4.84/bu | $4.80/bu |
| 2024-01 | $4.69/bu | $4.74/bu |
| 2024-02 | $4.23/bu | $4.36/bu |
| 2024-03 | $4.21/bu | $4.36/bu |
| 2024-04 | $4.26/bu | $4.39/bu |
| 2024-05 | $4.38/bu | $4.51/bu |
| 2024-06 | $4.40/bu | $4.48/bu |
| 2024-07 | $4.13/bu | $4.23/bu |
| 2024-08 | $3.70/bu | $3.84/bu |
| 2024-09 | $3.84/bu | $3.97/bu |
| 2024-10 | $3.90/bu | $3.99/bu |
| 2024-11 | $4.06/bu | $4.07/bu |
| 2024-12 | $4.16/bu | $4.23/bu |
| 2025-01 | $4.14/bu | $4.29/bu |
| 2025-02 | $4.57/bu | $4.58/bu |
| 2025-03 | $4.60/bu | $4.57/bu |
| 2025-04 | $4.61/bu | $4.62/bu |
| 2025-05 | $4.62/bu | $4.64/bu |
| 2025-06 | $4.52/bu | $4.47/bu |
| 2025-07 | $4.28/bu | $4.29/bu |
| 2025-08 | $3.97/bu | $3.96/bu |
| 2025-09 | $3.97/bu | $4.00/bu |
| 2025-10 | $3.97/bu | $3.93/bu |
| 2025-11 | $4.07/bu | $3.98/bu |
| 2025-12 | $4.23/bu | $4.10/bu |
| 2026-01 | $4.10/bu | $4.12/bu |
| 2026-02 | $4.18/bu | $4.12/bu |
| 2026-03 | $4.31/bu | $4.27/bu |
| 2026-04 | $4.40/bu | $4.31/bu |
| 2026-05 | $4.56/bu | $4.48/bu |
| 2026-06 | $4.42/bu | $4.28/bu |
| 2026-07 | $4.36/bu | $4.26/bu |
| 2026-08 | $4.55/bu | $4.45/bu |
How Illinois compares
Top Corn-producing states, August 2026 price
| State | Price | vs US avg |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $5.53/bu | +24.3% |
| Colorado | $5.16/bu | +16% |
| Pennsylvania | $5.09/bu | +14.4% |
| Tennessee | $4.9/bu | +10.1% |
| Indiana | $4.86/bu | +9.2% |
| Texas | $4.83/bu | +8.5% |
| Ohio | $4.82/bu | +8.3% |
| Kentucky | $4.81/bu | +8.1% |
What this price means for Illinois Corn farmers
Illinois corn fetched $4.55 per bushel in August 2026, sitting $0.10 above the national average of $4.45 for the same month. That premium over the US figure is best understood through local basis conditions — primarily transportation infrastructure and competition among elevators — rather than any inherent advantage in Illinois crop quality. Zooming out to the marketing-year-average tells a slightly more cautious story: the current MYA of $4.15 per bushel trails last year's finalized MYA of $4.18 by $0.03, a modest but meaningful slip that reflects softening demand and carry-in stocks still working through the system. That MYA figure should be treated as preliminary until USDA finalizes the marketing year, so growers watching it closely should expect small revisions in either direction.
A strong August monthly print like $4.55 can tempt producers to lock in forward contracts at what feels like a price peak, but a single month's reading can overstate the revenue a farm will actually realize across its full sales calendar. The marketing-year-average — currently $4.15 — is the figure that reflects the blended reality of selling grain across harvest, winter storage, and spring movement windows, making it the appropriate anchor for annual revenue projections and operating loan repayment schedules. Forward contracting off a favorable monthly price makes sense as a risk-management tool, but only when that contract covers a defined portion of expected bushels, not as a substitute for a whole-farm budget built around MYA assumptions. Locking every bushel to an August spot price and then budgeting accordingly sets expectations that the MYA, historically, rarely sustains for a full year.
Revenue calculator
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Frequently asked questions — Illinois Corn price
Why is the Illinois corn price of $4.55/bushel higher than the US average of $4.45/bushel in August 2026?
Illinois corn prices reflect local basis conditions, which account for regional supply and demand, proximity to end-users such as ethanol plants and export terminals, and local transportation and storage costs. The $0.10/bushel premium over the US average of $4.45 suggests stronger local demand or tighter regional supplies relative to the national market at that time. Monitoring this state-level basis differential helps Illinois farmers and agronomists evaluate whether to sell locally or explore alternative marketing channels.
What is the difference between the Illinois August 2026 corn price of $4.55/bushel and the marketing-year-average price of $4.15/bushel?
The August 2026 price of $4.55/bushel is a single monthly observation reflecting market conditions during that specific period, while the marketing-year-average (MYA) price of $4.15/bushel represents the weighted average price received by farmers across the entire September-through-August crop marketing year. The $0.40/bushel gap between them indicates that August prices are above the season-long average, which can matter for crop insurance calculations, loan deficiency payment eligibility, and benchmarking your own marketing performance. Farmers who sold early in the marketing year at lower prices can use the MYA to assess how their average sale price compares to the full-season outcome.
How frequently does USDA update Illinois corn price data, and where does this data originate?
USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) releases state-level corn prices monthly through the Agricultural Prices report, typically published near the end of each month for the prior month's data. The final marketing-year-average price is calculated and released after the marketing year concludes in August, consolidating all monthly observations. Farmers and agronomists should check the NASS release schedule to ensure they are working with the most current data when making forward-pricing or storage decisions.
How can I use the Illinois corn price of $4.55/bushel alongside yield data to estimate my expected revenue per acre?
To estimate gross revenue per acre, multiply your expected or actual corn yield in bushels per acre by the Illinois price of $4.55/bushel; for example, a yield of 200 bu/acre would project $910 per acre in gross revenue. Pairing the monthly price with county or farm-level yield data allows you to benchmark your operation against state averages and evaluate whether current prices justify forward contracting remaining bushels. Using the marketing-year-average of $4.15/bushel in the same calculation gives a more conservative, full-season revenue estimate that is useful for cash flow planning and comparing actual returns against pre-harvest projections.