| Rank |
County |
Total USDA - Subsidies
1995-2011 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Christian County, Kentucky | $201,274,804 | 5.7% | 5.7% |
| 2 | Graves County, Kentucky | $168,023,933 | 4.8% | 10.5% |
| 3 | Logan County, Kentucky | $154,131,591 | 4.4% | 14.9% |
| 4 | Union County, Kentucky | $119,041,107 | 3.4% | 18.2% |
| 5 | Henderson County, Kentucky | $118,292,490 | 3.4% | 21.6% |
| 6 | Daviess County, Kentucky | $117,180,379 | 3.3% | 24.9% |
| 7 | Todd County, Kentucky | $103,451,198 | 2.9% | 27.9% |
| 8 | Calloway County, Kentucky | $91,684,371 | 2.6% | 30.5% |
| 9 | Hickman County, Kentucky | $86,310,726 | 2.5% | 32.9% |
| 10 | Warren County, Kentucky | $86,026,542 | 2.4% | 35.4% |
| 11 | Webster County, Kentucky | $82,235,427 | 2.3% | 37.7% |
| 12 | McLean County, Kentucky | $76,813,227 | 2.2% | 39.9% |
| 13 | Simpson County, Kentucky | $76,519,322 | 2.2% | 42.1% |
| 14 | Kentucky NRCS | $69,625,023 | 2.0% | 44.0% |
| 15 | Breckinridge County, Kentucky | $66,307,856 | 1.9% | 45.9% |
| 16 | Fulton County, Kentucky | $62,151,224 | 1.8% | 47.7% |
| 17 | Caldwell County, Kentucky | $61,370,608 | 1.7% | 49.4% |
| 18 | Hopkins County, Kentucky | $60,538,534 | 1.7% | 51.1% |
| 19 | Ballard County, Kentucky | $58,617,794 | 1.7% | 52.8% |
| 20 | Hardin County, Kentucky | $55,976,947 | 1.6% | 54.4% |
| 21 | Barren County, Kentucky | $51,201,093 | 1.5% | 55.8% |
| 22 | Carlisle County, Kentucky | $50,763,109 | 1.4% | 57.3% |
| 23 | Trigg County, Kentucky | $48,294,222 | 1.4% | 58.7% |
| 24 | Ohio County, Kentucky | $47,988,381 | 1.4% | 60.0% |
| 25 | Grayson County, Kentucky | $44,321,700 | 1.3% | 61.3% |
| 26 | Shelby County, Kentucky | $44,014,389 | 1.2% | 62.5% |
| 27 | Crittenden County, Kentucky | $41,607,635 | 1.2% | 63.7% |
| 28 | Hart County, Kentucky | $40,897,108 | 1.2% | 64.9% |
| 29 | Bourbon County, Kentucky | $39,422,434 | 1.1% | 66.0% |
| 30 | Livingston County, Kentucky | $38,860,843 | 1.1% | 67.1% |
| 31 | Butler County, Kentucky | $37,681,667 | 1.1% | 68.2% |
| 32 | Muhlenberg County, Kentucky | $36,185,062 | 1.0% | 69.2% |
| 33 | Marion County, Kentucky | $36,117,348 | 1.0% | 70.2% |
| 34 | Larue County, Kentucky | $35,264,413 | 1.0% | 71.2% |
| 35 | Marshall County, Kentucky | $35,242,122 | 1.0% | 72.2% |
| 36 | McCracken County, Kentucky | $33,615,075 | 1.0% | 73.2% |
| 37 | Adair County, Kentucky | $33,603,789 | 1.0% | 74.1% |
| 38 | Meade County, Kentucky | $33,550,672 | 1.0% | 75.1% |
| 39 | Nelson County, Kentucky | $33,495,446 | 1.0% | 76.0% |
| 40 | Fleming County, Kentucky | $31,724,907 | 0.9% | 76.9% |
| 41 | Green County, Kentucky | $29,741,419 | 0.8% | 77.8% |
| 42 | Taylor County, Kentucky | $28,370,618 | 0.8% | 78.6% |
| 43 | Allen County, Kentucky | $28,167,872 | 0.8% | 79.4% |
| 44 | Pulaski County, Kentucky | $27,361,177 | 0.8% | 80.2% |
| 45 | Fayette County, Kentucky | $26,655,073 | 0.8% | 80.9% |
| 46 | Mason County, Kentucky | $24,469,957 | 0.7% | 81.6% |
| 47 | Lincoln County, Kentucky | $23,995,897 | 0.7% | 82.3% |
| 48 | Madison County, Kentucky | $23,131,972 | 0.7% | 83.0% |
| 49 | Washington County, Kentucky | $21,639,051 | 0.6% | 83.6% |
| 50 | Scott County, Kentucky | $21,566,146 | 0.6% | 84.2% |
| 51 | Harrison County, Kentucky | $20,975,656 | 0.6% | 84.8% |
| 52 | Henry County, Kentucky | $20,629,164 | 0.6% | 85.4% |
| 53 | Woodford County, Kentucky | $20,101,096 | 0.6% | 85.9% |
| 54 | Casey County, Kentucky | $19,931,771 | 0.6% | 86.5% |
| 55 | Metcalfe County, Kentucky | $19,469,721 | 0.6% | 87.1% |
| 56 | Clark County, Kentucky | $18,293,240 | 0.5% | 87.6% |
| 57 | Monroe County, Kentucky | $18,017,811 | 0.5% | 88.1% |
| 58 | Hancock County, Kentucky | $17,724,855 | 0.5% | 88.6% |
| 59 | Lyon County, Kentucky | $17,557,322 | 0.5% | 89.1% |
| 60 | Nicholas County, Kentucky | $17,331,337 | 0.5% | 89.6% |
| 61 | Edmonson County, Kentucky | $17,230,011 | 0.5% | 90.1% |
| 62 | Mercer County, Kentucky | $15,878,832 | 0.5% | 90.5% |
| 63 | Russell County, Kentucky | $15,356,064 | 0.4% | 91.0% |
| 64 | Bath County, Kentucky | $14,864,771 | 0.4% | 91.4% |
| 65 | Spencer County, Kentucky | $14,809,451 | 0.4% | 91.8% |
| 66 | Montgomery County, Kentucky | $13,634,146 | 0.4% | 92.2% |
| 67 | Owen County, Kentucky | $13,586,859 | 0.4% | 92.6% |
| 68 | Wayne County, Kentucky | $13,448,606 | 0.4% | 93.0% |
| 69 | Jessamine County, Kentucky | $13,353,612 | 0.4% | 93.3% |
| 70 | Garrard County, Kentucky | $13,243,041 | 0.4% | 93.7% |
| 71 | Lewis County, Kentucky | $12,203,735 | 0.3% | 94.1% |
| 72 | Boyle County, Kentucky | $10,975,650 | 0.3% | 94.4% |
| 73 | Bracken County, Kentucky | $10,674,305 | 0.3% | 94.7% |
| 74 | Oldham County, Kentucky | $10,545,127 | 0.3% | 95.0% |
| 75 | Pendleton County, Kentucky | $9,638,008 | 0.3% | 95.2% |
| 76 | Franklin County, Kentucky | $9,161,086 | 0.3% | 95.5% |
| 77 | Boone County, Kentucky | $8,291,668 | 0.2% | 95.7% |
| 78 | Grant County, Kentucky | $8,058,108 | 0.2% | 96.0% |
| 79 | Laurel County, Kentucky | $7,948,533 | 0.2% | 96.2% |
| 80 | Trimble County, Kentucky | $7,889,924 | 0.2% | 96.4% |
| 81 | Cumberland County, Kentucky | $7,467,595 | 0.2% | 96.6% |
| 82 | Rockcastle County, Kentucky | $7,244,666 | 0.2% | 96.8% |
| 83 | Anderson County, Kentucky | $7,162,906 | 0.2% | 97.0% |
| 84 | Bullitt County, Kentucky | $7,005,640 | 0.2% | 97.2% |
| 85 | Carroll County, Kentucky | $6,766,534 | 0.2% | 97.4% |
| 86 | Clinton County, Kentucky | $6,740,202 | 0.2% | 97.6% |
| 87 | Morgan County, Kentucky | $6,317,253 | 0.2% | 97.8% |
| 88 | Jackson County, Kentucky | $6,034,261 | 0.2% | 98.0% |
| 89 | Carter County, Kentucky | $5,981,286 | 0.2% | 98.1% |
| 90 | Greenup County, Kentucky | $5,040,406 | 0.1% | 98.3% |
| 91 | Robertson County, Kentucky | $4,452,329 | 0.1% | 98.4% |
| 92 | Estill County, Kentucky | $4,355,114 | 0.1% | 98.5% |
| 93 | Jefferson County, Kentucky | $4,282,710 | 0.1% | 98.7% |
| 94 | Rowan County, Kentucky | $4,218,701 | 0.1% | 98.8% |
| 95 | Gallatin County, Kentucky | $4,171,832 | 0.1% | 98.9% |
| 96 | Wolfe County, Kentucky | $3,993,342 | 0.1% | 99.0% |
| 97 | Magoffin County, Kentucky | $3,648,888 | 0.1% | 99.1% |
| 98 | Powell County, Kentucky | $3,414,718 | 0.1% | 99.2% |
| 99 | Clay County, Kentucky | $3,303,513 | 0.1% | 99.3% |
| 100 | Elliott County, Kentucky | $3,161,664 | 0.1% | 99.4% |
| 101 | Owsley County, Kentucky | $2,797,289 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 102 | Whitley County, Kentucky | $2,683,784 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 103 | Menifee County, Kentucky | $2,415,713 | 0.1% | 99.6% |
| 104 | Kenton County, Kentucky | $2,124,339 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 105 | Breathitt County, Kentucky | $2,055,417 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 106 | Knox County, Kentucky | $1,792,912 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 107 | Lawrence County, Kentucky | $1,714,136 | 0.0% | 99.8% |
| 108 | Lee County, Kentucky | $1,626,187 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 109 | Campbell County, Kentucky | $1,488,038 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 110 | Johnson County, Kentucky | $1,322,602 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 111 | McCreary County, Kentucky | $445,989 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 112 | Boyd County, Kentucky | $408,894 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 113 | Perry County, Kentucky | $147,566 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 114 | Leslie County, Kentucky | $133,101 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 115 | Bell County, Kentucky | $120,000 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 116 | Harlan County, Kentucky | $65,341 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 117 | Floyd County, Kentucky | $48,171 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 118 | Pike County, Kentucky | $32,873 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 119 | Knott County, Kentucky | $20,333 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 120 | Letcher County, Kentucky | $16,078 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 121 | Martin County, Kentucky | $13,563 | 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.
