| Rank |
County |
Subtotal, Farming Subsidies
2010 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Christian County, Kentucky | $5,730,053 | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| 2 | Logan County, Kentucky | $4,839,785 | 4.6% | 10.1% |
| 3 | Todd County, Kentucky | $4,284,926 | 4.1% | 14.2% |
| 4 | Graves County, Kentucky | $3,623,568 | 3.5% | 17.7% |
| 5 | Daviess County, Kentucky | $3,439,150 | 3.3% | 21.0% |
| 6 | Calloway County, Kentucky | $2,808,586 | 2.7% | 23.6% |
| 7 | Union County, Kentucky | $2,777,259 | 2.7% | 26.3% |
| 8 | Henderson County, Kentucky | $2,657,191 | 2.5% | 28.8% |
| 9 | Simpson County, Kentucky | $2,542,840 | 2.4% | 31.3% |
| 10 | Warren County, Kentucky | $2,153,874 | 2.1% | 33.3% |
| 11 | McLean County, Kentucky | $1,974,414 | 1.9% | 35.2% |
| 12 | Hickman County, Kentucky | $1,796,086 | 1.7% | 36.9% |
| 13 | Caldwell County, Kentucky | $1,745,114 | 1.7% | 38.6% |
| 14 | Breckinridge County, Kentucky | $1,711,669 | 1.6% | 40.2% |
| 15 | Barren County, Kentucky | $1,697,611 | 1.6% | 41.9% |
| 16 | Shelby County, Kentucky | $1,684,863 | 1.6% | 43.5% |
| 17 | Ballard County, Kentucky | $1,563,837 | 1.5% | 45.0% |
| 18 | Trigg County, Kentucky | $1,554,858 | 1.5% | 46.4% |
| 19 | Webster County, Kentucky | $1,512,065 | 1.4% | 47.9% |
| 20 | Fayette County, Kentucky | $1,454,480 | 1.4% | 49.3% |
| 21 | Hardin County, Kentucky | $1,383,366 | 1.3% | 50.6% |
| 22 | Marion County, Kentucky | $1,382,866 | 1.3% | 51.9% |
| 23 | Scott County, Kentucky | $1,380,621 | 1.3% | 53.2% |
| 24 | Fulton County, Kentucky | $1,291,358 | 1.2% | 54.5% |
| 25 | Henry County, Kentucky | $1,265,024 | 1.2% | 55.7% |
| 26 | Ohio County, Kentucky | $1,196,348 | 1.1% | 56.8% |
| 27 | Hart County, Kentucky | $1,180,220 | 1.1% | 58.0% |
| 28 | Hopkins County, Kentucky | $1,177,019 | 1.1% | 59.1% |
| 29 | Bourbon County, Kentucky | $1,163,759 | 1.1% | 60.2% |
| 30 | Carlisle County, Kentucky | $1,162,369 | 1.1% | 61.3% |
| 31 | Woodford County, Kentucky | $1,131,105 | 1.1% | 62.4% |
| 32 | Adair County, Kentucky | $1,109,307 | 1.1% | 63.5% |
| 33 | Pulaski County, Kentucky | $1,107,414 | 1.1% | 64.5% |
| 34 | Harrison County, Kentucky | $1,095,220 | 1.0% | 65.6% |
| 35 | Madison County, Kentucky | $1,078,056 | 1.0% | 66.6% |
| 36 | Nelson County, Kentucky | $1,050,967 | 1.0% | 67.6% |
| 37 | Owen County, Kentucky | $1,042,162 | 1.0% | 68.6% |
| 38 | Mason County, Kentucky | $1,029,559 | 1.0% | 69.6% |
| 39 | Fleming County, Kentucky | $1,028,543 | 1.0% | 70.6% |
| 40 | Taylor County, Kentucky | $967,470 | 0.9% | 71.5% |
| 41 | Grayson County, Kentucky | $953,253 | 0.9% | 72.4% |
| 42 | Washington County, Kentucky | $943,352 | 0.9% | 73.3% |
| 43 | Larue County, Kentucky | $926,537 | 0.9% | 74.2% |
| 44 | Lincoln County, Kentucky | $915,282 | 0.9% | 75.1% |
| 45 | Jessamine County, Kentucky | $912,088 | 0.9% | 75.9% |
| 46 | Green County, Kentucky | $807,228 | 0.8% | 76.7% |
| 47 | Clark County, Kentucky | $786,263 | 0.8% | 77.4% |
| 48 | Meade County, Kentucky | $769,852 | 0.7% | 78.2% |
| 49 | Bracken County, Kentucky | $769,224 | 0.7% | 78.9% |
| 50 | Muhlenberg County, Kentucky | $761,363 | 0.7% | 79.6% |
| 51 | McCracken County, Kentucky | $720,726 | 0.7% | 80.3% |
| 52 | Casey County, Kentucky | $719,020 | 0.7% | 81.0% |
| 53 | Allen County, Kentucky | $705,888 | 0.7% | 81.7% |
| 54 | Mercer County, Kentucky | $687,005 | 0.7% | 82.4% |
| 55 | Garrard County, Kentucky | $671,734 | 0.6% | 83.0% |
| 56 | Marshall County, Kentucky | $647,569 | 0.6% | 83.6% |
| 57 | Russell County, Kentucky | $641,382 | 0.6% | 84.2% |
| 58 | Butler County, Kentucky | $617,120 | 0.6% | 84.8% |
| 59 | Franklin County, Kentucky | $599,496 | 0.6% | 85.4% |
| 60 | Spencer County, Kentucky | $598,888 | 0.6% | 86.0% |
| 61 | Pendleton County, Kentucky | $596,412 | 0.6% | 86.5% |
| 62 | Hancock County, Kentucky | $591,598 | 0.6% | 87.1% |
| 63 | Bath County, Kentucky | $566,935 | 0.5% | 87.6% |
| 64 | Livingston County, Kentucky | $552,562 | 0.5% | 88.2% |
| 65 | Monroe County, Kentucky | $546,818 | 0.5% | 88.7% |
| 66 | Crittenden County, Kentucky | $536,172 | 0.5% | 89.2% |
| 67 | Grant County, Kentucky | $521,316 | 0.5% | 89.7% |
| 68 | Metcalfe County, Kentucky | $518,906 | 0.5% | 90.2% |
| 69 | Lewis County, Kentucky | $513,833 | 0.5% | 90.7% |
| 70 | Lyon County, Kentucky | $490,673 | 0.5% | 91.2% |
| 71 | Nicholas County, Kentucky | $488,541 | 0.5% | 91.6% |
| 72 | Trimble County, Kentucky | $473,110 | 0.5% | 92.1% |
| 73 | Montgomery County, Kentucky | $469,680 | 0.4% | 92.5% |
| 74 | Wayne County, Kentucky | $461,070 | 0.4% | 93.0% |
| 75 | Boyle County, Kentucky | $454,097 | 0.4% | 93.4% |
| 76 | Carroll County, Kentucky | $422,403 | 0.4% | 93.8% |
| 77 | Boone County, Kentucky | $403,815 | 0.4% | 94.2% |
| 78 | Laurel County, Kentucky | $392,881 | 0.4% | 94.6% |
| 79 | Morgan County, Kentucky | $358,583 | 0.3% | 94.9% |
| 80 | Rockcastle County, Kentucky | $352,322 | 0.3% | 95.3% |
| 81 | Anderson County, Kentucky | $312,174 | 0.3% | 95.5% |
| 82 | Edmonson County, Kentucky | $306,522 | 0.3% | 95.8% |
| 83 | Oldham County, Kentucky | $298,680 | 0.3% | 96.1% |
| 84 | Jackson County, Kentucky | $288,936 | 0.3% | 96.4% |
| 85 | Clinton County, Kentucky | $257,236 | 0.2% | 96.6% |
| 86 | Gallatin County, Kentucky | $253,527 | 0.2% | 96.9% |
| 87 | Cumberland County, Kentucky | $245,607 | 0.2% | 97.1% |
| 88 | Bullitt County, Kentucky | $231,524 | 0.2% | 97.3% |
| 89 | Carter County, Kentucky | $220,212 | 0.2% | 97.6% |
| 90 | Wolfe County, Kentucky | $209,815 | 0.2% | 97.8% |
| 91 | Robertson County, Kentucky | $206,689 | 0.2% | 98.0% |
| 92 | Clay County, Kentucky | $203,039 | 0.2% | 98.2% |
| 93 | Estill County, Kentucky | $182,746 | 0.2% | 98.3% |
| 94 | Greenup County, Kentucky | $163,438 | 0.2% | 98.5% |
| 95 | Owsley County, Kentucky | $161,159 | 0.2% | 98.6% |
| 96 | Magoffin County, Kentucky | $146,301 | 0.1% | 98.8% |
| 97 | Elliott County, Kentucky | $134,251 | 0.1% | 98.9% |
| 98 | Rowan County, Kentucky | $133,679 | 0.1% | 99.0% |
| 99 | Kenton County, Kentucky | $128,464 | 0.1% | 99.2% |
| 100 | Powell County, Kentucky | $111,917 | 0.1% | 99.3% |
| 101 | Menifee County, Kentucky | $110,981 | 0.1% | 99.4% |
| 102 | Jefferson County, Kentucky | $106,654 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 103 | Breathitt County, Kentucky | $103,169 | 0.1% | 99.6% |
| 104 | Campbell County, Kentucky | $94,099 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 105 | Knox County, Kentucky | $93,485 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 106 | Lee County, Kentucky | $67,238 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 107 | Lawrence County, Kentucky | $66,450 | 0.1% | 99.9% |
| 108 | Johnson County, Kentucky | $50,588 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 109 | Whitley County, Kentucky | $42,649 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 110 | McCreary County, Kentucky | $8,713 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 111 | Boyd County, Kentucky | $8,494 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 112 | Perry County, Kentucky | $7,218 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 113 | Leslie County, Kentucky | $5,757 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 114 | Bell County, Kentucky | $2,727 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 115 | Floyd County, Kentucky | $214 | 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.
