| Rank |
County |
Subtotal, Disaster Payments
1995-2012 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Christian County, Kentucky | $13,138,019 | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| 2 | Bourbon County, Kentucky | $8,484,382 | 3.0% | 7.6% |
| 3 | Warren County, Kentucky | $7,835,495 | 2.8% | 10.4% |
| 4 | Logan County, Kentucky | $7,751,387 | 2.7% | 13.2% |
| 5 | Calloway County, Kentucky | $6,932,091 | 2.5% | 15.6% |
| 6 | Fleming County, Kentucky | $6,891,774 | 2.4% | 18.1% |
| 7 | Nicholas County, Kentucky | $6,714,536 | 2.4% | 20.4% |
| 8 | Graves County, Kentucky | $6,206,265 | 2.2% | 22.6% |
| 9 | Todd County, Kentucky | $6,005,900 | 2.1% | 24.7% |
| 10 | Madison County, Kentucky | $5,946,357 | 2.1% | 26.9% |
| 11 | Breckinridge County, Kentucky | $5,429,834 | 1.9% | 28.8% |
| 12 | Pulaski County, Kentucky | $5,103,937 | 1.8% | 30.6% |
| 13 | Hardin County, Kentucky | $5,063,066 | 1.8% | 32.4% |
| 14 | Simpson County, Kentucky | $4,993,471 | 1.8% | 34.1% |
| 15 | Shelby County, Kentucky | $4,963,733 | 1.8% | 35.9% |
| 16 | Fayette County, Kentucky | $4,958,033 | 1.8% | 37.6% |
| 17 | Daviess County, Kentucky | $4,706,068 | 1.7% | 39.3% |
| 18 | Adair County, Kentucky | $4,417,413 | 1.6% | 40.9% |
| 19 | Union County, Kentucky | $4,267,302 | 1.5% | 42.4% |
| 20 | Barren County, Kentucky | $4,236,943 | 1.5% | 43.9% |
| 21 | Hopkins County, Kentucky | $4,055,175 | 1.4% | 45.3% |
| 22 | Scott County, Kentucky | $4,027,025 | 1.4% | 46.7% |
| 23 | Trigg County, Kentucky | $3,913,138 | 1.4% | 48.1% |
| 24 | Woodford County, Kentucky | $3,565,466 | 1.3% | 49.4% |
| 25 | Clark County, Kentucky | $3,531,967 | 1.2% | 50.6% |
| 26 | Casey County, Kentucky | $3,482,534 | 1.2% | 51.9% |
| 27 | Meade County, Kentucky | $3,389,429 | 1.2% | 53.1% |
| 28 | Lincoln County, Kentucky | $3,300,879 | 1.2% | 54.2% |
| 29 | Allen County, Kentucky | $3,231,811 | 1.1% | 55.4% |
| 30 | Montgomery County, Kentucky | $3,217,834 | 1.1% | 56.5% |
| 31 | Henderson County, Kentucky | $3,157,564 | 1.1% | 57.6% |
| 32 | Mason County, Kentucky | $3,141,028 | 1.1% | 58.7% |
| 33 | McLean County, Kentucky | $3,135,628 | 1.1% | 59.8% |
| 34 | Bath County, Kentucky | $3,088,931 | 1.1% | 60.9% |
| 35 | Fulton County, Kentucky | $2,949,590 | 1.0% | 62.0% |
| 36 | Harrison County, Kentucky | $2,879,458 | 1.0% | 63.0% |
| 37 | Larue County, Kentucky | $2,845,351 | 1.0% | 64.0% |
| 38 | Grayson County, Kentucky | $2,834,461 | 1.0% | 65.0% |
| 39 | Livingston County, Kentucky | $2,752,641 | 1.0% | 66.0% |
| 40 | Marshall County, Kentucky | $2,751,127 | 1.0% | 67.0% |
| 41 | Caldwell County, Kentucky | $2,745,459 | 1.0% | 67.9% |
| 42 | Monroe County, Kentucky | $2,709,369 | 1.0% | 68.9% |
| 43 | Hickman County, Kentucky | $2,609,446 | 0.9% | 69.8% |
| 44 | Marion County, Kentucky | $2,602,353 | 0.9% | 70.7% |
| 45 | Muhlenberg County, Kentucky | $2,437,523 | 0.9% | 71.6% |
| 46 | Russell County, Kentucky | $2,381,311 | 0.8% | 72.4% |
| 47 | Spencer County, Kentucky | $2,315,211 | 0.8% | 73.3% |
| 48 | Hart County, Kentucky | $2,283,241 | 0.8% | 74.1% |
| 49 | Nelson County, Kentucky | $2,207,232 | 0.8% | 74.8% |
| 50 | Ballard County, Kentucky | $2,157,440 | 0.8% | 75.6% |
| 51 | Webster County, Kentucky | $2,136,854 | 0.8% | 76.4% |
| 52 | Garrard County, Kentucky | $2,115,211 | 0.7% | 77.1% |
| 53 | Ohio County, Kentucky | $2,095,314 | 0.7% | 77.9% |
| 54 | Mercer County, Kentucky | $2,023,543 | 0.7% | 78.6% |
| 55 | Wayne County, Kentucky | $2,007,617 | 0.7% | 79.3% |
| 56 | Jessamine County, Kentucky | $1,978,032 | 0.7% | 80.0% |
| 57 | Washington County, Kentucky | $1,956,359 | 0.7% | 80.7% |
| 58 | Henry County, Kentucky | $1,923,230 | 0.7% | 81.4% |
| 59 | McCracken County, Kentucky | $1,885,537 | 0.7% | 82.0% |
| 60 | Carlisle County, Kentucky | $1,846,009 | 0.7% | 82.7% |
| 61 | Laurel County, Kentucky | $1,806,210 | 0.6% | 83.3% |
| 62 | Lewis County, Kentucky | $1,799,242 | 0.6% | 83.9% |
| 63 | Owen County, Kentucky | $1,752,656 | 0.6% | 84.6% |
| 64 | Metcalfe County, Kentucky | $1,711,314 | 0.6% | 85.2% |
| 65 | Crittenden County, Kentucky | $1,706,199 | 0.6% | 85.8% |
| 66 | Boyle County, Kentucky | $1,700,551 | 0.6% | 86.4% |
| 67 | Clinton County, Kentucky | $1,646,206 | 0.6% | 87.0% |
| 68 | Morgan County, Kentucky | $1,579,402 | 0.6% | 87.5% |
| 69 | Pendleton County, Kentucky | $1,553,344 | 0.5% | 88.1% |
| 70 | Green County, Kentucky | $1,480,261 | 0.5% | 88.6% |
| 71 | Cumberland County, Kentucky | $1,435,452 | 0.5% | 89.1% |
| 72 | Taylor County, Kentucky | $1,431,271 | 0.5% | 89.6% |
| 73 | Franklin County, Kentucky | $1,398,745 | 0.5% | 90.1% |
| 74 | Jackson County, Kentucky | $1,381,319 | 0.5% | 90.6% |
| 75 | Butler County, Kentucky | $1,277,634 | 0.5% | 91.0% |
| 76 | Carter County, Kentucky | $1,257,288 | 0.4% | 91.5% |
| 77 | Jefferson County, Kentucky | $1,256,773 | 0.4% | 91.9% |
| 78 | Bracken County, Kentucky | $1,211,139 | 0.4% | 92.4% |
| 79 | Grant County, Kentucky | $1,152,159 | 0.4% | 92.8% |
| 80 | Rockcastle County, Kentucky | $1,131,532 | 0.4% | 93.2% |
| 81 | Anderson County, Kentucky | $1,118,285 | 0.4% | 93.6% |
| 82 | Magoffin County, Kentucky | $1,072,631 | 0.4% | 93.9% |
| 83 | Robertson County, Kentucky | $1,072,233 | 0.4% | 94.3% |
| 84 | Greenup County, Kentucky | $951,912 | 0.3% | 94.7% |
| 85 | Edmonson County, Kentucky | $932,879 | 0.3% | 95.0% |
| 86 | Bullitt County, Kentucky | $903,693 | 0.3% | 95.3% |
| 87 | Wolfe County, Kentucky | $847,507 | 0.3% | 95.6% |
| 88 | Boone County, Kentucky | $841,568 | 0.3% | 95.9% |
| 89 | Carroll County, Kentucky | $798,037 | 0.3% | 96.2% |
| 90 | Estill County, Kentucky | $791,123 | 0.3% | 96.5% |
| 91 | Hancock County, Kentucky | $787,082 | 0.3% | 96.7% |
| 92 | Lyon County, Kentucky | $782,852 | 0.3% | 97.0% |
| 93 | Rowan County, Kentucky | $729,696 | 0.3% | 97.3% |
| 94 | Elliott County, Kentucky | $684,204 | 0.2% | 97.5% |
| 95 | Trimble County, Kentucky | $656,678 | 0.2% | 97.8% |
| 96 | Powell County, Kentucky | $648,692 | 0.2% | 98.0% |
| 97 | Whitley County, Kentucky | $643,115 | 0.2% | 98.2% |
| 98 | Oldham County, Kentucky | $635,036 | 0.2% | 98.4% |
| 99 | Menifee County, Kentucky | $606,696 | 0.2% | 98.6% |
| 100 | Owsley County, Kentucky | $498,015 | 0.2% | 98.8% |
| 101 | Lee County, Kentucky | $442,827 | 0.2% | 99.0% |
| 102 | Gallatin County, Kentucky | $421,843 | 0.1% | 99.1% |
| 103 | Breathitt County, Kentucky | $395,948 | 0.1% | 99.3% |
| 104 | Lawrence County, Kentucky | $393,986 | 0.1% | 99.4% |
| 105 | Johnson County, Kentucky | $275,037 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 106 | Knox County, Kentucky | $266,630 | 0.1% | 99.6% |
| 107 | Clay County, Kentucky | $254,096 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 108 | Kenton County, Kentucky | $252,015 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 109 | Campbell County, Kentucky | $180,881 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 110 | Boyd County, Kentucky | $149,977 | 0.1% | 99.9% |
| 111 | McCreary County, Kentucky | $138,730 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 112 | Harlan County, Kentucky | $39,949 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 113 | Bell County, Kentucky | $32,689 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 114 | Perry County, Kentucky | $28,165 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 115 | Leslie County, Kentucky | $11,132 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 116 | Letcher County, Kentucky | $9,017 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 117 | Martin County, Kentucky | $8,930 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 118 | Knott County, Kentucky | $7,574 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 119 | Floyd County, Kentucky | $6,500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 120 | Pike County, Kentucky | $4,377 | 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.
