| Rank |
County |
Loan Deficiency Payments
1995-2012 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Union County, Kentucky | $26,327,473 | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| 2 | Christian County, Kentucky | $25,464,258 | 6.5% | 13.1% |
| 3 | Daviess County, Kentucky | $24,413,512 | 6.2% | 19.3% |
| 4 | Graves County, Kentucky | $23,973,631 | 6.1% | 25.4% |
| 5 | Henderson County, Kentucky | $23,728,712 | 6.0% | 31.4% |
| 6 | Logan County, Kentucky | $21,043,574 | 5.3% | 36.7% |
| 7 | Hickman County, Kentucky | $17,598,353 | 4.5% | 41.2% |
| 8 | Todd County, Kentucky | $16,371,026 | 4.1% | 45.4% |
| 9 | McLean County, Kentucky | $15,398,441 | 3.9% | 49.3% |
| 10 | Fulton County, Kentucky | $13,027,873 | 3.3% | 52.6% |
| 11 | Calloway County, Kentucky | $12,866,513 | 3.3% | 55.8% |
| 12 | Simpson County, Kentucky | $12,409,426 | 3.1% | 59.0% |
| 13 | Webster County, Kentucky | $12,356,777 | 3.1% | 62.1% |
| 14 | Ballard County, Kentucky | $10,460,663 | 2.7% | 64.7% |
| 15 | Carlisle County, Kentucky | $8,685,062 | 2.2% | 67.0% |
| 16 | Warren County, Kentucky | $8,636,664 | 2.2% | 69.1% |
| 17 | Ohio County, Kentucky | $8,187,432 | 2.1% | 71.2% |
| 18 | Hopkins County, Kentucky | $8,170,854 | 2.1% | 73.3% |
| 19 | Caldwell County, Kentucky | $6,606,587 | 1.7% | 75.0% |
| 20 | Trigg County, Kentucky | $6,270,401 | 1.6% | 76.6% |
| 21 | Hardin County, Kentucky | $6,193,881 | 1.6% | 78.1% |
| 22 | McCracken County, Kentucky | $5,633,925 | 1.4% | 79.5% |
| 23 | Butler County, Kentucky | $4,620,865 | 1.2% | 80.7% |
| 24 | Muhlenberg County, Kentucky | $4,192,929 | 1.1% | 81.8% |
| 25 | Shelby County, Kentucky | $4,153,494 | 1.1% | 82.8% |
| 26 | Nelson County, Kentucky | $4,001,001 | 1.0% | 83.9% |
| 27 | Larue County, Kentucky | $3,889,920 | 1.0% | 84.8% |
| 28 | Barren County, Kentucky | $3,833,611 | 1.0% | 85.8% |
| 29 | Breckinridge County, Kentucky | $3,510,418 | 0.9% | 86.7% |
| 30 | Meade County, Kentucky | $3,451,264 | 0.9% | 87.6% |
| 31 | Marshall County, Kentucky | $3,277,360 | 0.8% | 88.4% |
| 32 | Crittenden County, Kentucky | $3,169,626 | 0.8% | 89.2% |
| 33 | Marion County, Kentucky | $3,137,261 | 0.8% | 90.0% |
| 34 | Livingston County, Kentucky | $3,052,381 | 0.8% | 90.8% |
| 35 | Hancock County, Kentucky | $2,918,480 | 0.7% | 91.5% |
| 36 | Taylor County, Kentucky | $2,342,763 | 0.6% | 92.1% |
| 37 | Pulaski County, Kentucky | $1,913,019 | 0.5% | 92.6% |
| 38 | Grayson County, Kentucky | $1,726,559 | 0.4% | 93.0% |
| 39 | Wayne County, Kentucky | $1,604,316 | 0.4% | 93.4% |
| 40 | Adair County, Kentucky | $1,536,525 | 0.4% | 93.8% |
| 41 | Lyon County, Kentucky | $1,520,192 | 0.4% | 94.2% |
| 42 | Lincoln County, Kentucky | $1,411,149 | 0.4% | 94.6% |
| 43 | Oldham County, Kentucky | $1,043,444 | 0.3% | 94.8% |
| 44 | Russell County, Kentucky | $1,010,167 | 0.3% | 95.1% |
| 45 | Spencer County, Kentucky | $942,598 | 0.2% | 95.3% |
| 46 | Monroe County, Kentucky | $942,316 | 0.2% | 95.6% |
| 47 | Washington County, Kentucky | $922,091 | 0.2% | 95.8% |
| 48 | Bourbon County, Kentucky | $892,374 | 0.2% | 96.0% |
| 49 | Fleming County, Kentucky | $779,696 | 0.2% | 96.2% |
| 50 | Henry County, Kentucky | $769,140 | 0.2% | 96.4% |
| 51 | Green County, Kentucky | $741,681 | 0.2% | 96.6% |
| 52 | Bullitt County, Kentucky | $701,459 | 0.2% | 96.8% |
| 53 | Hart County, Kentucky | $680,491 | 0.2% | 97.0% |
| 54 | Boone County, Kentucky | $660,088 | 0.2% | 97.1% |
| 55 | Fayette County, Kentucky | $639,415 | 0.2% | 97.3% |
| 56 | Casey County, Kentucky | $628,093 | 0.2% | 97.4% |
| 57 | Mason County, Kentucky | $596,270 | 0.2% | 97.6% |
| 58 | Harrison County, Kentucky | $595,794 | 0.2% | 97.8% |
| 59 | Bath County, Kentucky | $540,212 | 0.1% | 97.9% |
| 60 | Allen County, Kentucky | $516,420 | 0.1% | 98.0% |
| 61 | Edmonson County, Kentucky | $473,189 | 0.1% | 98.1% |
| 62 | Lewis County, Kentucky | $454,954 | 0.1% | 98.3% |
| 63 | Trimble County, Kentucky | $428,863 | 0.1% | 98.4% |
| 64 | Metcalfe County, Kentucky | $425,391 | 0.1% | 98.5% |
| 65 | Woodford County, Kentucky | $372,595 | 0.1% | 98.6% |
| 66 | Mercer County, Kentucky | $369,363 | 0.1% | 98.7% |
| 67 | Jefferson County, Kentucky | $315,385 | 0.1% | 98.7% |
| 68 | Gallatin County, Kentucky | $295,213 | 0.1% | 98.8% |
| 69 | Cumberland County, Kentucky | $287,171 | 0.1% | 98.9% |
| 70 | Scott County, Kentucky | $282,612 | 0.1% | 99.0% |
| 71 | Madison County, Kentucky | $273,810 | 0.1% | 99.0% |
| 72 | Clinton County, Kentucky | $259,471 | 0.1% | 99.1% |
| 73 | Boyle County, Kentucky | $258,599 | 0.1% | 99.2% |
| 74 | Carroll County, Kentucky | $253,599 | 0.1% | 99.2% |
| 75 | Rockcastle County, Kentucky | $250,657 | 0.1% | 99.3% |
| 76 | Pendleton County, Kentucky | $245,882 | 0.1% | 99.3% |
| 77 | Montgomery County, Kentucky | $238,376 | 0.1% | 99.4% |
| 78 | Clark County, Kentucky | $237,724 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 79 | Franklin County, Kentucky | $171,731 | 0.0% | 99.5% |
| 80 | Jessamine County, Kentucky | $165,629 | 0.0% | 99.6% |
| 81 | Garrard County, Kentucky | $161,584 | 0.0% | 99.6% |
| 82 | Rowan County, Kentucky | $159,538 | 0.0% | 99.6% |
| 83 | Bracken County, Kentucky | $154,602 | 0.0% | 99.7% |
| 84 | Powell County, Kentucky | $154,040 | 0.0% | 99.7% |
| 85 | Laurel County, Kentucky | $142,630 | 0.0% | 99.8% |
| 86 | Greenup County, Kentucky | $126,511 | 0.0% | 99.8% |
| 87 | Knox County, Kentucky | $110,077 | 0.0% | 99.8% |
| 88 | Owen County, Kentucky | $96,571 | 0.0% | 99.8% |
| 89 | Estill County, Kentucky | $95,801 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 90 | Nicholas County, Kentucky | $79,305 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 91 | Jackson County, Kentucky | $75,393 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 92 | Grant County, Kentucky | $74,641 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 93 | Campbell County, Kentucky | $73,977 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 94 | Whitley County, Kentucky | $70,116 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 95 | Carter County, Kentucky | $50,140 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 96 | Anderson County, Kentucky | $31,962 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 97 | Menifee County, Kentucky | $25,679 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 98 | Wolfe County, Kentucky | $14,236 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 99 | Kenton County, Kentucky | $10,958 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 100 | Clay County, Kentucky | $10,933 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 101 | Boyd County, Kentucky | $10,453 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 102 | Elliott County, Kentucky | $8,070 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 103 | Robertson County, Kentucky | $6,561 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 104 | Lee County, Kentucky | $1,273 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 105 | Owsley County, Kentucky | $1,056 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 106 | Lawrence County, Kentucky | $1,043 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
Source: Environmental Working Group. Compiled from USDA data.
Note: The information on conservation spending for 2011and 2012 are incomplete due to missing data from USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service. In addition some payments made in 2010 were not assigned to recipients in the data received from NRCS. Those payments are also not included.
The information provided for the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) provides an inaccurate picture of how WRP payments are distributed. USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service uses title companies as intermediaries to finalize wetlands easements under the Wetlands Reserve Program. As a result, the data provided to us shows large sums of money going to these title companies. In reality, the payments are ultimately distributed to landowners participating in the WRP.
Unfortunately, NRCS has not provided the data to show where these farms and wetlands are located or which farmers or landowners are enrolling in the program, so EWG is unable to allocate these large sums of money to individuals beyond the title companies. Therefore, these companies skew the conservation rankings and payment concentration, which EWG cannot avoid unless and until NRCS makes available the additional farm attribution data. Therefore, we have not included WRP payments in the 2011 or 2012 data update.
We have separated data on farm commodity, disaster and conservation payments in order to provide a more accurate picture of top recipients and concentration of payments among the three main categories of USDA programs.
Finally, EWG works hard to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides through its products and services, but obtains data for the Farm Subsidy Database from the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, EWG cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information USDA provides or any analysis based thereon. If you find an error or discrepancy on the site, please contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office to check its records before contacting EWG.
