Farmers asked for it, so we built it.
Agriculture sits at the center of the food-and-carbon system: it feeds us, shapes land use, and is deeply exposed to a changing climate. Weather extremes not only disrupt harvests but also drive large swings in insurance payouts, farm income, and the stability of food supply chains.
At ShrinkThatFootprint, we track these pressures because they reveal how climate risk is already translating into real financial losses across the agricultural sector. Crop insurance is one of the clearest mirrors of this connection.
Every year, the USDA releases detailed data on the causes of crop loss—from drought and excess rain to heat, hail, hurricanes, and even price declines. By analyzing these records, we see where climate-driven stresses are intensifying, which states are most exposed, and how food production risks are evolving across the country.
But the raw files are enormous and not easy to interpret. To make the information useful, we compiled the full 2024 dataset and calculated indemnity dollars per insured acre for every state and every major cause of loss.
For those unsure, “indemnity” means the payout for losses. The table below lets you compare your state’s exposure across the top drivers of loss in 2024, from weather extremes to area-based insurance triggers, all in a sortable format.
So here the table of insurance losses for all 50 states. To use this, find the row for your state of interest. Then look across the columns to see, in that state, the loss per acre for each type of crop damage. For example, in Alabama, in 2024, drought caused $67 per acre of damage, whereas hail caused $0 per acre of damage. This will help you understand whether it makes sense to get drought insurance or hail insurance.
| State | Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain ($/acre) | Drought ($/acre) | ARPI/SCO/ECO/STAX/MP/PACE Crops Only ($/acre) | Heat ($/acre) | Hail ($/acre) | Hurricane ($/acre) | Decline in Price ($/acre) | Hot Wind ($/acre) | Tropical Storm ($/acre) | Freeze ($/acre) | Other Causes ($/acre) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | $5.10 | $67.24 | $16.35 | $19.59 | $0.00 | $1.57 | $7.15 | $0.25 | $4.25 | $0.75 | $5.76 |
| AR | $35.39 | $0.95 | $1.53 | $8.63 | $0.56 | $0.42 | $0.53 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.30 | $8.74 |
| AZ | $2.27 | $0.00 | $3.17 | $8.32 | $1.72 | $0.00 | $4.70 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.77 | $168.10 |
| CA | $48.65 | $0.05 | $6.60 | $46.12 | $7.53 | $0.00 | $2.57 | $1.59 | $0.04 | $2.03 | $61.10 |
| CO | $1.22 | $15.36 | $1.91 | $2.12 | $11.04 | $0.00 | $1.10 | $1.57 | $0.00 | $1.13 | $4.56 |
| CT | $42.12 | $3.03 | $1.37 | $3.86 | $143.60 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.12 | $181.81 |
| DE | $2.22 | $15.00 | $0.39 | $12.03 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.76 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.61 |
| FL | $1.91 | $2.09 | $9.09 | $1.87 | $0.40 | $9.11 | $0.07 | $0.60 | $0.06 | $3.11 | $11.04 |
| GA | $19.21 | $6.65 | $31.87 | $16.80 | $1.05 | $87.30 | $2.14 | $0.03 | $21.91 | $0.37 | $19.97 |
| HI | $0.40 | $0.22 | $0.00 | $2.60 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $20.54 |
| IA | $10.80 | $2.70 | $4.92 | $0.11 | $0.93 | $0.00 | $2.82 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.24 |
| ID | $1.02 | $10.72 | $5.23 | $2.99 | $3.28 | $0.00 | $5.85 | $0.10 | $0.00 | $6.08 | $12.19 |
| IL | $4.19 | $3.24 | $4.00 | $0.05 | $0.08 | $0.00 | $2.84 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.19 | $28.91 |
| IN | $3.02 | $9.03 | $6.52 | $0.31 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $2.74 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.41 | $2.55 |
| KS | $0.91 | $28.63 | $4.92 | $3.01 | $5.13 | $0.00 | $0.79 | $0.80 | $0.00 | $0.14 | $0.76 |
| KY | $15.19 | $24.23 | $5.84 | $0.27 | $0.09 | $6.11 | $4.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.08 | $52.63 |
| LA | $43.24 | $3.76 | $2.42 | $8.26 | $0.18 | $43.79 | $1.00 | $0.00 | $1.86 | $0.42 | $3.18 |
| MA | $15.99 | $7.64 | $10.63 | $4.69 | $48.34 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.72 | $120.62 |
| MD | $2.07 | $30.69 | $0.71 | $16.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.86 | $0.04 | $0.00 | $9.24 | $3.90 |
| ME | $47.78 | $1.39 | $1.91 | $0.99 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $11.28 |
| MI | $11.70 | $5.56 | $4.12 | $1.29 | $2.48 | $0.00 | $2.08 | $0.38 | $0.00 | $37.26 | $26.30 |
| MN | $50.75 | $1.19 | $3.45 | $0.12 | $2.32 | $0.00 | $3.02 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.56 | $27.43 |
| MO | $10.25 | $9.17 | $1.67 | $1.79 | $0.14 | $0.00 | $0.89 | $0.05 | $0.00 | $0.09 | $2.17 |
| MS | $15.88 | $12.04 | $7.52 | $20.37 | $0.01 | $0.40 | $1.35 | $0.08 | $3.01 | $0.50 | $6.81 |
| MT | $0.51 | $14.58 | $3.43 | $6.73 | $6.63 | $0.00 | $0.87 | $0.09 | $0.00 | $0.39 | $1.57 |
| NC | $13.74 | $43.81 | $5.71 | $12.97 | $2.12 | $4.46 | $1.32 | $0.00 | $31.80 | $7.70 | $31.23 |
| ND | $15.82 | $2.43 | $4.29 | $0.67 | $2.71 | $0.00 | $0.87 | $0.02 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $2.43 |
| NE | $2.04 | $5.34 | $4.87 | $1.68 | $9.89 | $0.00 | $1.53 | $0.44 | $0.00 | $0.05 | $3.13 |
| NH | $13.63 | $19.47 | $3.00 | $0.00 | $28.24 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.75 | $0.00 | $9.38 | $13.41 |
| NJ | $2.41 | $27.41 | $43.11 | $8.70 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.15 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $46.15 | $18.42 |
| NM | $0.20 | $34.09 | $2.68 | $5.25 | $13.64 | $0.00 | $1.53 | $2.53 | $0.00 | $8.22 | $22.28 |
| NV | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3.88 | $0.03 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.04 | $0.30 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $3.22 |
| NY | $15.74 | $0.61 | $3.67 | $5.50 | $13.27 | $3.37 | $0.36 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $59.20 | $64.08 |
| OH | $2.40 | $24.84 | $5.46 | $0.44 | $0.08 | $0.42 | $5.17 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.14 | $5.26 |
| OK | $1.41 | $25.86 | $9.32 | $4.35 | $2.41 | $0.00 | $0.69 | $5.57 | $0.00 | $0.16 | $55.51 |
| OR | $0.81 | $1.53 | $4.55 | $4.13 | $2.31 | $0.00 | $7.32 | $0.05 | $0.00 | $8.78 | $44.94 |
| PA | $5.03 | $39.02 | $4.92 | $7.40 | $0.36 | $20.95 | $1.52 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $52.33 | $70.61 |
| RI | $19.25 | $7.09 | $0.83 | $5.52 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $21.52 | $66.19 |
| SC | $2.03 | $13.51 | $0.57 | $2.74 | $0.15 | $0.49 | $0.15 | $0.02 | $12.83 | $1.91 | $50.69 |
| SD | $16.14 | $5.20 | $8.98 | $0.49 | $1.49 | $0.00 | $1.55 | $0.14 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3.39 |
| TN | $13.46 | $35.00 | $8.14 | $6.38 | $0.05 | $0.02 | $3.47 | $0.05 | $0.00 | $0.39 | $2.74 |
| TX | $11.51 | $34.74 | $11.41 | $22.32 | $8.62 | $10.73 | $0.89 | $10.77 | $0.00 | $0.39 | $10.09 |
| UT | $0.89 | $3.88 | $1.91 | $0.02 | $0.11 | $0.00 | $0.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.03 | $11.74 |
| VA | $7.60 | $42.04 | $5.09 | $21.09 | $0.77 | $0.21 | $1.38 | $0.09 | $0.34 | $6.61 | $47.56 |
| VT | $30.87 | $1.76 | $6.65 | $0.58 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $41.53 | $2.73 |
| WA | $0.18 | $10.23 | $4.62 | $7.10 | $2.35 | $0.00 | $4.95 | $0.27 | $0.00 | $8.09 | $33.90 |
| WI | $37.13 | $2.09 | $6.53 | $0.39 | $0.57 | $0.00 | $2.02 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.43 | $2.13 |
| WV | $1.43 | $124.10 | $4.60 | $23.87 | $599.97 | $0.00 | $2.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $42.15 | $44.10 |
| WY | $0.63 | $4.98 | $2.83 | $1.51 | $4.34 | $0.00 | $1.20 | $0.67 | $0.00 | $0.38 | $3.81 |
Extremes in 2024
The most dramatic per-acre crop insurance loss of 2024 occurred in West Virginia, where hail damage produced nearly $600 per insured acre—a reflection of how concentrated losses in small-acreage states can generate eye-popping averages.
In California, the nation’s largest agricultural producer, the highest per-acre loss was around $61 under the “Other Causes” category, driven by localized impacts on high-value specialty crops.
On the other end of the spectrum, several states—including Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, and New Hampshire—recorded zero per-acre losses for specific causes, highlighting how uneven and localized weather and market shocks were across the country.
Methods
This analysis uses publicly available data from the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), which publishes annual records of crop insurance indemnities by cause of loss. The full dataset—known as the “Cause of Loss” files—can be accessed at:
USDA RMA, Summary of Business – Cause of Loss
https://www.rma.usda.gov/Tools/Reports/Summary-of-Business/Cause-of-Loss
We downloaded the 2024 Cause of Loss file and the State/County/Crop Summary of Business file for 2024. The Cause of Loss file reports total indemnities for each combination of state, crop, and cause; the Summary of Business file reports insured acres for each state and crop.
To make the results comparable across states and causes, we merged the two datasets by state and crop and calculated indemnities per insured acre for each cause of loss. This gives a normalized measure of loss exposure that accounts for differences in crop mix and acreage.
We then aggregated results to the state × cause level using an acreage-weighted average. To highlight the most important drivers of crop losses, we ranked all causes by total national indemnity and selected the top 10 causes, grouping all others into an “Other Causes” category. All data processing was performed in Python (pandas), and the final table was exported in a sortable format for presentation.
Leave feedback below on other data you’d like to see, such as other years, aggregated time periods, the 30 other insured causes of crop loss (that are smaller than the 10 shown her
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