| Rank |
County |
Misc. Disaster Payments
1995-2012 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Christian County, Kentucky | $8,710,548 | 5.9% | 5.9% |
| 2 | Bourbon County, Kentucky | $5,830,157 | 3.9% | 9.8% |
| 3 | Logan County, Kentucky | $5,489,535 | 3.7% | 13.5% |
| 4 | Warren County, Kentucky | $4,109,859 | 2.8% | 16.3% |
| 5 | Todd County, Kentucky | $4,027,990 | 2.7% | 19.0% |
| 6 | Calloway County, Kentucky | $3,977,518 | 2.7% | 21.7% |
| 7 | Nicholas County, Kentucky | $3,975,257 | 2.7% | 24.4% |
| 8 | Fayette County, Kentucky | $3,936,326 | 2.7% | 27.1% |
| 9 | Fleming County, Kentucky | $3,739,760 | 2.5% | 29.6% |
| 10 | Graves County, Kentucky | $3,623,459 | 2.4% | 32.0% |
| 11 | Madison County, Kentucky | $3,371,427 | 2.3% | 34.3% |
| 12 | Simpson County, Kentucky | $3,085,803 | 2.1% | 36.4% |
| 13 | Shelby County, Kentucky | $3,050,028 | 2.1% | 38.5% |
| 14 | Daviess County, Kentucky | $2,931,935 | 2.0% | 40.5% |
| 15 | Scott County, Kentucky | $2,716,600 | 1.8% | 42.3% |
| 16 | Woodford County, Kentucky | $2,676,759 | 1.8% | 44.1% |
| 17 | Trigg County, Kentucky | $2,263,166 | 1.5% | 45.6% |
| 18 | Hopkins County, Kentucky | $2,211,711 | 1.5% | 47.1% |
| 19 | Mason County, Kentucky | $2,198,371 | 1.5% | 48.6% |
| 20 | Union County, Kentucky | $2,195,000 | 1.5% | 50.1% |
| 21 | Henderson County, Kentucky | $2,192,090 | 1.5% | 51.6% |
| 22 | Fulton County, Kentucky | $2,190,195 | 1.5% | 53.0% |
| 23 | Clark County, Kentucky | $2,109,266 | 1.4% | 54.5% |
| 24 | Pulaski County, Kentucky | $1,841,379 | 1.2% | 55.7% |
| 25 | Bath County, Kentucky | $1,744,969 | 1.2% | 56.9% |
| 26 | Montgomery County, Kentucky | $1,690,821 | 1.1% | 58.0% |
| 27 | Livingston County, Kentucky | $1,663,781 | 1.1% | 59.2% |
| 28 | Marshall County, Kentucky | $1,658,411 | 1.1% | 60.3% |
| 29 | Caldwell County, Kentucky | $1,637,881 | 1.1% | 61.4% |
| 30 | Harrison County, Kentucky | $1,619,583 | 1.1% | 62.5% |
| 31 | Spencer County, Kentucky | $1,594,911 | 1.1% | 63.6% |
| 32 | Hardin County, Kentucky | $1,499,030 | 1.0% | 64.6% |
| 33 | Breckinridge County, Kentucky | $1,392,508 | 0.9% | 65.5% |
| 34 | McCracken County, Kentucky | $1,370,849 | 0.9% | 66.4% |
| 35 | McLean County, Kentucky | $1,349,122 | 0.9% | 67.4% |
| 36 | Jessamine County, Kentucky | $1,322,757 | 0.9% | 68.2% |
| 37 | Muhlenberg County, Kentucky | $1,291,422 | 0.9% | 69.1% |
| 38 | Hickman County, Kentucky | $1,286,291 | 0.9% | 70.0% |
| 39 | Ohio County, Kentucky | $1,271,300 | 0.9% | 70.9% |
| 40 | Casey County, Kentucky | $1,212,695 | 0.8% | 71.7% |
| 41 | Webster County, Kentucky | $1,166,417 | 0.8% | 72.5% |
| 42 | Allen County, Kentucky | $1,117,216 | 0.8% | 73.2% |
| 43 | Lewis County, Kentucky | $1,084,306 | 0.7% | 73.9% |
| 44 | Grayson County, Kentucky | $1,056,536 | 0.7% | 74.7% |
| 45 | Lincoln County, Kentucky | $1,052,919 | 0.7% | 75.4% |
| 46 | Ballard County, Kentucky | $1,034,001 | 0.7% | 76.1% |
| 47 | Morgan County, Kentucky | $1,020,001 | 0.7% | 76.8% |
| 48 | Crittenden County, Kentucky | $986,746 | 0.7% | 77.4% |
| 49 | Carlisle County, Kentucky | $977,665 | 0.7% | 78.1% |
| 50 | Magoffin County, Kentucky | $967,544 | 0.7% | 78.7% |
| 51 | Garrard County, Kentucky | $943,173 | 0.6% | 79.4% |
| 52 | Marion County, Kentucky | $926,683 | 0.6% | 80.0% |
| 53 | Jefferson County, Kentucky | $916,704 | 0.6% | 80.6% |
| 54 | Mercer County, Kentucky | $899,291 | 0.6% | 81.2% |
| 55 | Robertson County, Kentucky | $896,008 | 0.6% | 81.8% |
| 56 | Meade County, Kentucky | $894,996 | 0.6% | 82.4% |
| 57 | Larue County, Kentucky | $864,063 | 0.6% | 83.0% |
| 58 | Jackson County, Kentucky | $836,076 | 0.6% | 83.6% |
| 59 | Franklin County, Kentucky | $819,920 | 0.6% | 84.1% |
| 60 | Barren County, Kentucky | $791,483 | 0.5% | 84.7% |
| 61 | Pendleton County, Kentucky | $790,029 | 0.5% | 85.2% |
| 62 | Owen County, Kentucky | $757,582 | 0.5% | 85.7% |
| 63 | Bracken County, Kentucky | $754,288 | 0.5% | 86.2% |
| 64 | Carter County, Kentucky | $753,470 | 0.5% | 86.7% |
| 65 | Hart County, Kentucky | $717,039 | 0.5% | 87.2% |
| 66 | Boyle County, Kentucky | $710,364 | 0.5% | 87.7% |
| 67 | Greenup County, Kentucky | $699,207 | 0.5% | 88.2% |
| 68 | Grant County, Kentucky | $691,323 | 0.5% | 88.6% |
| 69 | Nelson County, Kentucky | $682,539 | 0.5% | 89.1% |
| 70 | Wolfe County, Kentucky | $661,112 | 0.4% | 89.6% |
| 71 | Washington County, Kentucky | $653,247 | 0.4% | 90.0% |
| 72 | Henry County, Kentucky | $653,204 | 0.4% | 90.4% |
| 73 | Anderson County, Kentucky | $623,497 | 0.4% | 90.9% |
| 74 | Butler County, Kentucky | $622,603 | 0.4% | 91.3% |
| 75 | Bullitt County, Kentucky | $597,779 | 0.4% | 91.7% |
| 76 | Hancock County, Kentucky | $564,570 | 0.4% | 92.1% |
| 77 | Estill County, Kentucky | $549,239 | 0.4% | 92.4% |
| 78 | Powell County, Kentucky | $540,090 | 0.4% | 92.8% |
| 79 | Rowan County, Kentucky | $537,740 | 0.4% | 93.2% |
| 80 | Lyon County, Kentucky | $531,835 | 0.4% | 93.5% |
| 81 | Cumberland County, Kentucky | $525,915 | 0.4% | 93.9% |
| 82 | Carroll County, Kentucky | $516,126 | 0.3% | 94.2% |
| 83 | Russell County, Kentucky | $506,500 | 0.3% | 94.6% |
| 84 | Boone County, Kentucky | $495,978 | 0.3% | 94.9% |
| 85 | Laurel County, Kentucky | $477,674 | 0.3% | 95.2% |
| 86 | Monroe County, Kentucky | $452,949 | 0.3% | 95.5% |
| 87 | Adair County, Kentucky | $443,946 | 0.3% | 95.8% |
| 88 | Menifee County, Kentucky | $434,932 | 0.3% | 96.1% |
| 89 | Metcalfe County, Kentucky | $417,214 | 0.3% | 96.4% |
| 90 | Taylor County, Kentucky | $389,763 | 0.3% | 96.7% |
| 91 | Trimble County, Kentucky | $389,501 | 0.3% | 96.9% |
| 92 | Rockcastle County, Kentucky | $385,414 | 0.3% | 97.2% |
| 93 | Owsley County, Kentucky | $383,509 | 0.3% | 97.5% |
| 94 | Elliott County, Kentucky | $380,100 | 0.3% | 97.7% |
| 95 | Oldham County, Kentucky | $341,505 | 0.2% | 97.9% |
| 96 | Edmonson County, Kentucky | $340,119 | 0.2% | 98.2% |
| 97 | Wayne County, Kentucky | $336,873 | 0.2% | 98.4% |
| 98 | Breathitt County, Kentucky | $320,754 | 0.2% | 98.6% |
| 99 | Lee County, Kentucky | $285,865 | 0.2% | 98.8% |
| 100 | Green County, Kentucky | $252,128 | 0.2% | 99.0% |
| 101 | Lawrence County, Kentucky | $250,852 | 0.2% | 99.2% |
| 102 | Johnson County, Kentucky | $239,119 | 0.2% | 99.3% |
| 103 | Clinton County, Kentucky | $203,167 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 104 | Clay County, Kentucky | $198,859 | 0.1% | 99.6% |
| 105 | Gallatin County, Kentucky | $174,577 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 106 | Kenton County, Kentucky | $132,597 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 107 | Whitley County, Kentucky | $95,781 | 0.1% | 99.9% |
| 108 | Knox County, Kentucky | $55,865 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 109 | Campbell County, Kentucky | $47,699 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 110 | Harlan County, Kentucky | $36,743 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 111 | Boyd County, Kentucky | $35,061 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 112 | Perry County, Kentucky | $11,769 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 113 | Leslie County, Kentucky | $10,746 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 114 | McCreary County, Kentucky | $4,082 | 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.
