| Rank |
County |
Livestock Subsidies
1995-2011 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Adair County, Kentucky | $5,544,032 | 5.9% | 5.9% |
| 2 | Pulaski County, Kentucky | $4,463,820 | 4.7% | 10.6% |
| 3 | Russell County, Kentucky | $2,837,391 | 3.0% | 13.6% |
| 4 | Barren County, Kentucky | $2,767,477 | 2.9% | 16.5% |
| 5 | Breckinridge County, Kentucky | $2,374,229 | 2.5% | 19.0% |
| 6 | Fleming County, Kentucky | $2,361,544 | 2.5% | 21.5% |
| 7 | Lincoln County, Kentucky | $2,265,491 | 2.4% | 23.9% |
| 8 | Warren County, Kentucky | $2,214,805 | 2.3% | 26.3% |
| 9 | Monroe County, Kentucky | $2,207,144 | 2.3% | 28.6% |
| 10 | Madison County, Kentucky | $2,174,585 | 2.3% | 30.9% |
| 11 | Marion County, Kentucky | $2,154,809 | 2.3% | 33.2% |
| 12 | Casey County, Kentucky | $2,031,557 | 2.1% | 35.3% |
| 13 | Wayne County, Kentucky | $1,769,655 | 1.9% | 37.2% |
| 14 | Bourbon County, Kentucky | $1,666,973 | 1.8% | 38.9% |
| 15 | Nelson County, Kentucky | $1,657,588 | 1.8% | 40.7% |
| 16 | Allen County, Kentucky | $1,633,496 | 1.7% | 42.4% |
| 17 | Logan County, Kentucky | $1,598,501 | 1.7% | 44.1% |
| 18 | Hart County, Kentucky | $1,498,688 | 1.6% | 45.7% |
| 19 | Montgomery County, Kentucky | $1,492,326 | 1.6% | 47.3% |
| 20 | Clinton County, Kentucky | $1,391,977 | 1.5% | 48.8% |
| 21 | Grayson County, Kentucky | $1,322,693 | 1.4% | 50.2% |
| 22 | Washington County, Kentucky | $1,316,125 | 1.4% | 51.5% |
| 23 | Green County, Kentucky | $1,291,562 | 1.4% | 52.9% |
| 24 | Bath County, Kentucky | $1,257,836 | 1.3% | 54.2% |
| 25 | Clark County, Kentucky | $1,246,774 | 1.3% | 55.6% |
| 26 | Laurel County, Kentucky | $1,208,815 | 1.3% | 56.8% |
| 27 | Garrard County, Kentucky | $1,201,685 | 1.3% | 58.1% |
| 28 | Meade County, Kentucky | $1,182,889 | 1.3% | 59.4% |
| 29 | Taylor County, Kentucky | $1,180,467 | 1.2% | 60.6% |
| 30 | Metcalfe County, Kentucky | $1,149,138 | 1.2% | 61.8% |
| 31 | Mercer County, Kentucky | $1,129,273 | 1.2% | 63.0% |
| 32 | Hardin County, Kentucky | $1,115,521 | 1.2% | 64.2% |
| 33 | Harrison County, Kentucky | $1,102,706 | 1.2% | 65.4% |
| 34 | Scott County, Kentucky | $1,072,425 | 1.1% | 66.5% |
| 35 | Shelby County, Kentucky | $1,029,825 | 1.1% | 67.6% |
| 36 | Boyle County, Kentucky | $995,153 | 1.1% | 68.6% |
| 37 | Christian County, Kentucky | $989,446 | 1.0% | 69.7% |
| 38 | Larue County, Kentucky | $929,335 | 1.0% | 70.7% |
| 39 | Cumberland County, Kentucky | $901,732 | 1.0% | 71.6% |
| 40 | Graves County, Kentucky | $897,480 | 0.9% | 72.6% |
| 41 | Todd County, Kentucky | $878,109 | 0.9% | 73.5% |
| 42 | Nicholas County, Kentucky | $823,519 | 0.9% | 74.4% |
| 43 | Henry County, Kentucky | $821,477 | 0.9% | 75.2% |
| 44 | Simpson County, Kentucky | $820,126 | 0.9% | 76.1% |
| 45 | Mason County, Kentucky | $817,492 | 0.9% | 77.0% |
| 46 | Rockcastle County, Kentucky | $798,479 | 0.8% | 77.8% |
| 47 | Owen County, Kentucky | $762,247 | 0.8% | 78.6% |
| 48 | Calloway County, Kentucky | $640,005 | 0.7% | 79.3% |
| 49 | Jessamine County, Kentucky | $594,329 | 0.6% | 79.9% |
| 50 | Hickman County, Kentucky | $589,713 | 0.6% | 80.5% |
| 51 | Union County, Kentucky | $578,324 | 0.6% | 81.2% |
| 52 | Daviess County, Kentucky | $576,127 | 0.6% | 81.8% |
| 53 | Crittenden County, Kentucky | $568,733 | 0.6% | 82.4% |
| 54 | Whitley County, Kentucky | $552,065 | 0.6% | 82.9% |
| 55 | Ohio County, Kentucky | $543,995 | 0.6% | 83.5% |
| 56 | Pendleton County, Kentucky | $532,146 | 0.6% | 84.1% |
| 57 | Lewis County, Kentucky | $526,156 | 0.6% | 84.6% |
| 58 | Butler County, Kentucky | $523,682 | 0.6% | 85.2% |
| 59 | Trigg County, Kentucky | $515,452 | 0.5% | 85.7% |
| 60 | Edmonson County, Kentucky | $513,290 | 0.5% | 86.3% |
| 61 | Jackson County, Kentucky | $495,815 | 0.5% | 86.8% |
| 62 | Anderson County, Kentucky | $486,760 | 0.5% | 87.3% |
| 63 | Fayette County, Kentucky | $485,700 | 0.5% | 87.8% |
| 64 | Woodford County, Kentucky | $480,769 | 0.5% | 88.3% |
| 65 | Caldwell County, Kentucky | $465,433 | 0.5% | 88.8% |
| 66 | Livingston County, Kentucky | $465,095 | 0.5% | 89.3% |
| 67 | Spencer County, Kentucky | $455,875 | 0.5% | 89.8% |
| 68 | Carter County, Kentucky | $448,710 | 0.5% | 90.3% |
| 69 | Bracken County, Kentucky | $448,455 | 0.5% | 90.8% |
| 70 | Franklin County, Kentucky | $422,157 | 0.4% | 91.2% |
| 71 | Grant County, Kentucky | $417,234 | 0.4% | 91.6% |
| 72 | Morgan County, Kentucky | $412,766 | 0.4% | 92.1% |
| 73 | Marshall County, Kentucky | $409,869 | 0.4% | 92.5% |
| 74 | Muhlenberg County, Kentucky | $388,463 | 0.4% | 92.9% |
| 75 | Ballard County, Kentucky | $369,657 | 0.4% | 93.3% |
| 76 | Henderson County, Kentucky | $319,947 | 0.3% | 93.7% |
| 77 | Webster County, Kentucky | $318,744 | 0.3% | 94.0% |
| 78 | Hopkins County, Kentucky | $311,335 | 0.3% | 94.3% |
| 79 | McLean County, Kentucky | $297,759 | 0.3% | 94.6% |
| 80 | Elliott County, Kentucky | $286,959 | 0.3% | 94.9% |
| 81 | Carroll County, Kentucky | $262,589 | 0.3% | 95.2% |
| 82 | Boone County, Kentucky | $259,216 | 0.3% | 95.5% |
| 83 | Carlisle County, Kentucky | $254,353 | 0.3% | 95.8% |
| 84 | Trimble County, Kentucky | $247,155 | 0.3% | 96.0% |
| 85 | Estill County, Kentucky | $241,411 | 0.3% | 96.3% |
| 86 | Knox County, Kentucky | $212,600 | 0.2% | 96.5% |
| 87 | Bullitt County, Kentucky | $201,140 | 0.2% | 96.7% |
| 88 | Rowan County, Kentucky | $198,842 | 0.2% | 96.9% |
| 89 | Hancock County, Kentucky | $192,327 | 0.2% | 97.1% |
| 90 | Greenup County, Kentucky | $192,029 | 0.2% | 97.3% |
| 91 | Wolfe County, Kentucky | $191,344 | 0.2% | 97.5% |
| 92 | Lee County, Kentucky | $162,834 | 0.2% | 97.7% |
| 93 | Oldham County, Kentucky | $159,678 | 0.2% | 97.9% |
| 94 | Robertson County, Kentucky | $156,148 | 0.2% | 98.0% |
| 95 | Menifee County, Kentucky | $148,616 | 0.2% | 98.2% |
| 96 | Owsley County, Kentucky | $143,003 | 0.2% | 98.3% |
| 97 | Lawrence County, Kentucky | $142,194 | 0.2% | 98.5% |
| 98 | Lyon County, Kentucky | $141,266 | 0.1% | 98.6% |
| 99 | McCreary County, Kentucky | $134,648 | 0.1% | 98.8% |
| 100 | Campbell County, Kentucky | $133,862 | 0.1% | 98.9% |
| 101 | Gallatin County, Kentucky | $124,337 | 0.1% | 99.1% |
| 102 | Kenton County, Kentucky | $119,715 | 0.1% | 99.2% |
| 103 | Boyd County, Kentucky | $110,256 | 0.1% | 99.3% |
| 104 | McCracken County, Kentucky | $102,921 | 0.1% | 99.4% |
| 105 | Jefferson County, Kentucky | $92,612 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 106 | Powell County, Kentucky | $90,604 | 0.1% | 99.6% |
| 107 | Magoffin County, Kentucky | $88,020 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 108 | Clay County, Kentucky | $58,207 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 109 | Fulton County, Kentucky | $55,994 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 110 | Breathitt County, Kentucky | $53,664 | 0.1% | 99.9% |
| 111 | Johnson County, Kentucky | $28,520 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 112 | Bell County, Kentucky | $28,435 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 113 | Perry County, Kentucky | $16,396 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 114 | Martin County, Kentucky | $8,930 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 115 | Knott County, Kentucky | $7,933 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 116 | Letcher County, Kentucky | $6,629 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 117 | Floyd County, Kentucky | $6,074 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 118 | Pike County, Kentucky | $5,767 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 119 | Harlan County, Kentucky | $3,206 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
Source: Environmental Working Group. Compiled from USDA data.
Note: The information on conservation spending for 2011 is 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 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.
