| Rank |
County |
Tobacco Payment Program
1995-2012 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Barren County, Kentucky | $322,116 | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| 2 | Bourbon County, Kentucky | $318,908 | 2.5% | 5.1% |
| 3 | Shelby County, Kentucky | $311,350 | 2.5% | 7.6% |
| 4 | Madison County, Kentucky | $298,109 | 2.4% | 10.0% |
| 5 | Fayette County, Kentucky | $284,955 | 2.3% | 12.3% |
| 6 | Scott County, Kentucky | $284,785 | 2.3% | 14.5% |
| 7 | Woodford County, Kentucky | $282,892 | 2.3% | 16.8% |
| 8 | Christian County, Kentucky | $280,586 | 2.2% | 19.0% |
| 9 | Harrison County, Kentucky | $260,158 | 2.1% | 21.1% |
| 10 | Henry County, Kentucky | $255,013 | 2.0% | 23.1% |
| 11 | Logan County, Kentucky | $245,958 | 2.0% | 25.1% |
| 12 | Hart County, Kentucky | $242,489 | 1.9% | 27.0% |
| 13 | Daviess County, Kentucky | $241,179 | 1.9% | 29.0% |
| 14 | Mason County, Kentucky | $230,447 | 1.8% | 30.8% |
| 15 | Graves County, Kentucky | $220,772 | 1.8% | 32.6% |
| 16 | Owen County, Kentucky | $220,571 | 1.8% | 34.3% |
| 17 | Fleming County, Kentucky | $211,112 | 1.7% | 36.0% |
| 18 | Clark County, Kentucky | $201,110 | 1.6% | 37.6% |
| 19 | Breckinridge County, Kentucky | $197,750 | 1.6% | 39.2% |
| 20 | Garrard County, Kentucky | $195,429 | 1.6% | 40.8% |
| 21 | Jessamine County, Kentucky | $190,526 | 1.5% | 42.3% |
| 22 | Washington County, Kentucky | $185,552 | 1.5% | 43.8% |
| 23 | Mercer County, Kentucky | $181,926 | 1.5% | 45.2% |
| 24 | Bracken County, Kentucky | $180,659 | 1.4% | 46.7% |
| 25 | Lincoln County, Kentucky | $174,322 | 1.4% | 48.1% |
| 26 | Montgomery County, Kentucky | $173,665 | 1.4% | 49.4% |
| 27 | Bath County, Kentucky | $173,627 | 1.4% | 50.8% |
| 28 | Todd County, Kentucky | $170,205 | 1.4% | 52.2% |
| 29 | Calloway County, Kentucky | $168,723 | 1.3% | 53.5% |
| 30 | Pulaski County, Kentucky | $165,994 | 1.3% | 54.9% |
| 31 | Warren County, Kentucky | $165,179 | 1.3% | 56.2% |
| 32 | Green County, Kentucky | $164,482 | 1.3% | 57.5% |
| 33 | Casey County, Kentucky | $162,480 | 1.3% | 58.8% |
| 34 | Franklin County, Kentucky | $154,706 | 1.2% | 60.0% |
| 35 | Grant County, Kentucky | $154,465 | 1.2% | 61.3% |
| 36 | Marion County, Kentucky | $153,981 | 1.2% | 62.5% |
| 37 | Metcalfe County, Kentucky | $147,822 | 1.2% | 63.7% |
| 38 | Nicholas County, Kentucky | $142,684 | 1.1% | 64.8% |
| 39 | Pendleton County, Kentucky | $137,064 | 1.1% | 65.9% |
| 40 | Taylor County, Kentucky | $134,994 | 1.1% | 67.0% |
| 41 | Lewis County, Kentucky | $132,653 | 1.1% | 68.0% |
| 42 | Boyle County, Kentucky | $127,783 | 1.0% | 69.1% |
| 43 | Nelson County, Kentucky | $122,898 | 1.0% | 70.0% |
| 44 | Adair County, Kentucky | $122,789 | 1.0% | 71.0% |
| 45 | Trigg County, Kentucky | $116,621 | 0.9% | 71.9% |
| 46 | Hardin County, Kentucky | $111,616 | 0.9% | 72.8% |
| 47 | Laurel County, Kentucky | $111,290 | 0.9% | 73.7% |
| 48 | Spencer County, Kentucky | $106,835 | 0.9% | 74.6% |
| 49 | Morgan County, Kentucky | $106,550 | 0.9% | 75.4% |
| 50 | Grayson County, Kentucky | $103,485 | 0.8% | 76.3% |
| 51 | Trimble County, Kentucky | $103,087 | 0.8% | 77.1% |
| 52 | Simpson County, Kentucky | $102,983 | 0.8% | 77.9% |
| 53 | Carroll County, Kentucky | $100,132 | 0.8% | 78.7% |
| 54 | Allen County, Kentucky | $99,795 | 0.8% | 79.5% |
| 55 | Monroe County, Kentucky | $98,331 | 0.8% | 80.3% |
| 56 | Anderson County, Kentucky | $91,959 | 0.7% | 81.0% |
| 57 | Larue County, Kentucky | $90,295 | 0.7% | 81.7% |
| 58 | Carter County, Kentucky | $90,105 | 0.7% | 82.5% |
| 59 | Russell County, Kentucky | $89,822 | 0.7% | 83.2% |
| 60 | Rockcastle County, Kentucky | $88,085 | 0.7% | 83.9% |
| 61 | Jackson County, Kentucky | $86,946 | 0.7% | 84.6% |
| 62 | Wayne County, Kentucky | $80,139 | 0.6% | 85.2% |
| 63 | Ohio County, Kentucky | $74,931 | 0.6% | 85.8% |
| 64 | Ballard County, Kentucky | $74,070 | 0.6% | 86.4% |
| 65 | McLean County, Kentucky | $73,854 | 0.6% | 87.0% |
| 66 | Cumberland County, Kentucky | $70,029 | 0.6% | 87.6% |
| 67 | Muhlenberg County, Kentucky | $67,111 | 0.5% | 88.1% |
| 68 | Boone County, Kentucky | $66,206 | 0.5% | 88.6% |
| 69 | Robertson County, Kentucky | $65,008 | 0.5% | 89.1% |
| 70 | Hancock County, Kentucky | $63,382 | 0.5% | 89.6% |
| 71 | Caldwell County, Kentucky | $61,359 | 0.5% | 90.1% |
| 72 | Clinton County, Kentucky | $61,140 | 0.5% | 90.6% |
| 73 | Clay County, Kentucky | $59,943 | 0.5% | 91.1% |
| 74 | Gallatin County, Kentucky | $57,334 | 0.5% | 91.6% |
| 75 | Elliott County, Kentucky | $55,740 | 0.4% | 92.0% |
| 76 | Greenup County, Kentucky | $53,880 | 0.4% | 92.4% |
| 77 | Wolfe County, Kentucky | $53,867 | 0.4% | 92.9% |
| 78 | Henderson County, Kentucky | $49,063 | 0.4% | 93.3% |
| 79 | Owsley County, Kentucky | $48,921 | 0.4% | 93.6% |
| 80 | Magoffin County, Kentucky | $48,780 | 0.4% | 94.0% |
| 81 | Edmonson County, Kentucky | $46,283 | 0.4% | 94.4% |
| 82 | Meade County, Kentucky | $46,188 | 0.4% | 94.8% |
| 83 | Rowan County, Kentucky | $45,573 | 0.4% | 95.1% |
| 84 | Estill County, Kentucky | $40,411 | 0.3% | 95.5% |
| 85 | Menifee County, Kentucky | $39,271 | 0.3% | 95.8% |
| 86 | McCracken County, Kentucky | $38,347 | 0.3% | 96.1% |
| 87 | Lyon County, Kentucky | $37,419 | 0.3% | 96.4% |
| 88 | Webster County, Kentucky | $37,353 | 0.3% | 96.7% |
| 89 | Oldham County, Kentucky | $36,964 | 0.3% | 97.0% |
| 90 | Bullitt County, Kentucky | $35,285 | 0.3% | 97.3% |
| 91 | Breathitt County, Kentucky | $34,570 | 0.3% | 97.5% |
| 92 | Kenton County, Kentucky | $32,214 | 0.3% | 97.8% |
| 93 | Marshall County, Kentucky | $30,782 | 0.2% | 98.0% |
| 94 | Carlisle County, Kentucky | $29,790 | 0.2% | 98.3% |
| 95 | Butler County, Kentucky | $25,249 | 0.2% | 98.5% |
| 96 | Powell County, Kentucky | $23,673 | 0.2% | 98.7% |
| 97 | Hopkins County, Kentucky | $22,748 | 0.2% | 98.8% |
| 98 | Knox County, Kentucky | $22,189 | 0.2% | 99.0% |
| 99 | Johnson County, Kentucky | $20,692 | 0.2% | 99.2% |
| 100 | Lawrence County, Kentucky | $18,743 | 0.1% | 99.3% |
| 101 | Campbell County, Kentucky | $17,767 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 102 | Lee County, Kentucky | $17,041 | 0.1% | 99.6% |
| 103 | Whitley County, Kentucky | $15,440 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 104 | Jefferson County, Kentucky | $12,829 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 105 | Hickman County, Kentucky | $10,464 | 0.1% | 99.9% |
| 106 | Leslie County, Kentucky | $2,681 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 107 | Perry County, Kentucky | $1,880 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 108 | Boyd County, Kentucky | $1,593 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 109 | McCreary County, Kentucky | $1,566 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 110 | Union County, Kentucky | $898 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 111 | Crittenden County, Kentucky | $604 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 112 | Livingston County, Kentucky | $500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 113 | Floyd County, Kentucky | $115 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 114 | Fulton County, Kentucky | $29 | 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.
