As of late 2024 to early 2025, one standard 480-pound bale of cotton is generally valued between $300 and $400, or roughly 60 to 80 cents per pound. Prices are highly volatile, fluctuating based on supply, demand, and quality grades. Recent USDA data showed upland cotton prices around 64-65 cents per pound, bringing a 480-lb bale to approximately $307-$312.
In general terms, cotton costs about 75 cents per pound, or $360 for a standard sized bale. Prices do fluctuate, so for “an exact price right this minute” you'll need to check with a commodities broker.
∎ One bale of cotton can make 215 pairs of jeans; 249 bed sheets; 313,600 $100 bills; 690 bath towels; or 1,217 T-shirts. ∎ Approximately 10-15 percent of a cotton producer's income is derived from cottonseed.
One bale of cotton—approximately 480 pounds of cleaned cotton lint—can make more than 200 pairs of jeans or 1,200 t-shirts. In the United States and around the world, there are two main species of cotton cultivated for commercial use: upland cotton and Pima (extra-long staple) cotton.
Fundamentally, cotton prices have been declining due to weaker global demand, including from major importer China, and abundant world supplies. Good yields in major cotton-producing countries Brazil and China have led to ample stocks and have kept cotton futures prices low.
How Much Does A Cotton Bale Cost? - The World of Agriculture
Is growing cotton profitable?
Cotton is the most widespread profitable non-food crop in the world. Its production provides income for more than 250 million people worldwide and employs almost 7% of all labor in developing countries. Approximately half of all textiles are made of cotton.
As a way of supporting boll weevil eradication, Congress put the Boll Weevil Eradication Equity Act in place. This act states that cotton may not be grown for noncommercial purposes without a special waiver issued by the state's plant board.
The optimistic price range for cotton in 2025 is expected to be between 74 and 79 cents per pound, while the pessimistic price range for 2024 is projected to be between 66 and 69 cents per pound.
At below 65 cents per pound in December 2025, ICE cotton futures remain in a long-term bearish trend. The monthly chart highlights the 61% decline from the May 2022 high of $1.5595 to the April 2025 low of 60.80 cents per pound. In 2025, nearby cotton futures have traded in a narrow 60.80 to 69.75 range.
As per the latest market rates, the average Cotton price is ₹7341.02/Quintal. The lowest market price is ₹5125/Quintal. The costliest market price is ₹8665/Quintal.
The warmer the water becomes the more the increase bleeding of the dye in the cotton fabric. There will also be a small amount of shrinkage as the temperature of the water increases. Most manufactures of 100% cotton clothes recommend that they be washed by hand in cold water with a mild detergent.
The unhealthiest fabrics to wear are typically synthetics like polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex, due to their petroleum origins, chemical processing (releasing carcinogens like acrylonitrile or PFCs), poor breathability (trapping heat/moisture, causing irritation/bacteria), and tendency to shed microplastics that can be absorbed or ingested. Non-breathable leather/vinyl and chemically treated bamboo (rayon/viscose) are also problematic.
The "333 rule" in clothing refers to two popular minimalist fashion concepts: the viral TikTok trend of using 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes to create numerous outfits (9 items total) for styling practice, and the more extensive Project 333, where you select 33 items (including clothes, shoes, and accessories) to wear for three months, excluding essentials like underwear, workout gear, and sleepwear, to simplify your wardrobe and reduce decision fatigue. Both methods focus on versatility, quality over quantity, and creating a functional capsule wardrobe.
It can be very difficult to provide temperatures that are warm enough further north in the UK, but some very mild and sunny southern gardens may successfully grow a cotton crop from seeds that are direct sown.
Its growing season of approximately 150 to 180 days is the longest of any annually planted crop in the country. Since there is much variation in climate and soil, production practices differ from region to region. In the western states, for example, nearly the entire crop is irrigated.
The most profitable crops per acre include saffron (yielding up to $60,000/acre), exotic mushrooms, and medicinal herbs like ashwagandha and stevia. Profitability depends on climate, market, and the technology used for cultivation.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $42,500 and as low as $22,500, the majority of Cotton Picker salaries currently range between $32,000 (25th percentile) to $38,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $38,500 annually across the United States.
How many acres does it take to get a bale of cotton?
🤔🌱 On average, farmers harvest about 1,200 pounds of raw cotton per acre. After it's ginned, that yields roughly 2.5 bales of cotton per acre, each bale weighing 480 pounds!
