| Rank |
County |
Subtotal, Farming Subsidies
2011 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Hamilton County, Nebraska | $7,306,655 | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| 2 | York County, Nebraska | $7,049,063 | 2.3% | 4.7% |
| 3 | Phelps County, Nebraska | $6,678,850 | 2.2% | 6.9% |
| 4 | Buffalo County, Nebraska | $6,513,686 | 2.1% | 9.1% |
| 5 | Lincoln County, Nebraska | $6,501,811 | 2.1% | 11.2% |
| 6 | Antelope County, Nebraska | $6,371,492 | 2.1% | 13.3% |
| 7 | Dawson County, Nebraska | $6,316,109 | 2.1% | 15.4% |
| 8 | Holt County, Nebraska | $6,287,228 | 2.1% | 17.4% |
| 9 | Fillmore County, Nebraska | $6,214,361 | 2.0% | 19.5% |
| 10 | Perkins County, Nebraska | $6,193,295 | 2.0% | 21.5% |
| 11 | Custer County, Nebraska | $6,178,530 | 2.0% | 23.6% |
| 12 | Kearney County, Nebraska | $6,104,314 | 2.0% | 25.6% |
| 13 | Adams County, Nebraska | $6,079,449 | 2.0% | 27.6% |
| 14 | Saunders County, Nebraska | $5,970,068 | 2.0% | 29.5% |
| 15 | Platte County, Nebraska | $5,776,344 | 1.9% | 31.4% |
| 16 | Seward County, Nebraska | $5,666,326 | 1.9% | 33.3% |
| 17 | Clay County, Nebraska | $5,540,710 | 1.8% | 35.1% |
| 18 | Hall County, Nebraska | $5,507,775 | 1.8% | 36.9% |
| 19 | Red Willow County, Nebraska | $5,365,492 | 1.8% | 38.7% |
| 20 | Gage County, Nebraska | $5,280,995 | 1.7% | 40.4% |
| 21 | Chase County, Nebraska | $5,102,282 | 1.7% | 42.1% |
| 22 | Butler County, Nebraska | $5,035,284 | 1.7% | 43.8% |
| 23 | Thayer County, Nebraska | $5,033,900 | 1.7% | 45.4% |
| 24 | Boone County, Nebraska | $5,014,393 | 1.6% | 47.1% |
| 25 | Dodge County, Nebraska | $4,670,726 | 1.5% | 48.6% |
| 26 | Cheyenne County, Nebraska | $4,661,330 | 1.5% | 50.2% |
| 27 | Saline County, Nebraska | $4,651,164 | 1.5% | 51.7% |
| 28 | Cuming County, Nebraska | $4,611,092 | 1.5% | 53.2% |
| 29 | Madison County, Nebraska | $4,574,637 | 1.5% | 54.7% |
| 30 | Polk County, Nebraska | $4,561,502 | 1.5% | 56.2% |
| 31 | Lancaster County, Nebraska | $4,561,017 | 1.5% | 57.7% |
| 32 | Merrick County, Nebraska | $4,331,630 | 1.4% | 59.1% |
| 33 | Cedar County, Nebraska | $4,260,730 | 1.4% | 60.5% |
| 34 | Cass County, Nebraska | $4,087,622 | 1.3% | 61.9% |
| 35 | Pierce County, Nebraska | $4,041,306 | 1.3% | 63.2% |
| 36 | Otoe County, Nebraska | $3,839,492 | 1.3% | 64.5% |
| 37 | Howard County, Nebraska | $3,726,374 | 1.2% | 65.7% |
| 38 | Burt County, Nebraska | $3,703,994 | 1.2% | 66.9% |
| 39 | Nuckolls County, Nebraska | $3,700,778 | 1.2% | 68.1% |
| 40 | Jefferson County, Nebraska | $3,678,518 | 1.2% | 69.3% |
| 41 | Furnas County, Nebraska | $3,610,510 | 1.2% | 70.5% |
| 42 | Box Butte County, Nebraska | $3,533,405 | 1.2% | 71.7% |
| 43 | Valley County, Nebraska | $3,490,723 | 1.1% | 72.8% |
| 44 | Harlan County, Nebraska | $3,377,007 | 1.1% | 74.0% |
| 45 | Gosper County, Nebraska | $3,353,594 | 1.1% | 75.1% |
| 46 | Knox County, Nebraska | $3,284,048 | 1.1% | 76.1% |
| 47 | Dundy County, Nebraska | $3,229,683 | 1.1% | 77.2% |
| 48 | Franklin County, Nebraska | $3,222,953 | 1.1% | 78.3% |
| 49 | Colfax County, Nebraska | $3,184,200 | 1.0% | 79.3% |
| 50 | Wayne County, Nebraska | $3,123,785 | 1.0% | 80.3% |
| 51 | Richardson County, Nebraska | $3,058,612 | 1.0% | 81.3% |
| 52 | Keith County, Nebraska | $2,952,743 | 1.0% | 82.3% |
| 53 | Dixon County, Nebraska | $2,910,476 | 1.0% | 83.3% |
| 54 | Webster County, Nebraska | $2,829,756 | 0.9% | 84.2% |
| 55 | Washington County, Nebraska | $2,738,938 | 0.9% | 85.1% |
| 56 | Thurston County, Nebraska | $2,710,199 | 0.9% | 86.0% |
| 57 | Nance County, Nebraska | $2,686,559 | 0.9% | 86.9% |
| 58 | Nemaha County, Nebraska | $2,496,094 | 0.8% | 87.7% |
| 59 | Kimball County, Nebraska | $2,394,894 | 0.8% | 88.5% |
| 60 | Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska | $2,283,029 | 0.8% | 89.2% |
| 61 | Stanton County, Nebraska | $2,232,506 | 0.7% | 90.0% |
| 62 | Morrill County, Nebraska | $2,156,340 | 0.7% | 90.7% |
| 63 | Hayes County, Nebraska | $2,070,078 | 0.7% | 91.4% |
| 64 | Sheridan County, Nebraska | $1,961,431 | 0.6% | 92.0% |
| 65 | Frontier County, Nebraska | $1,942,433 | 0.6% | 92.6% |
| 66 | Johnson County, Nebraska | $1,711,892 | 0.6% | 93.2% |
| 67 | Pawnee County, Nebraska | $1,662,316 | 0.5% | 93.8% |
| 68 | Greeley County, Nebraska | $1,599,473 | 0.5% | 94.3% |
| 69 | Garden County, Nebraska | $1,491,911 | 0.5% | 94.8% |
| 70 | Brown County, Nebraska | $1,475,095 | 0.5% | 95.3% |
| 71 | Deuel County, Nebraska | $1,362,111 | 0.4% | 95.7% |
| 72 | Sarpy County, Nebraska | $1,206,657 | 0.4% | 96.1% |
| 73 | Sherman County, Nebraska | $1,145,100 | 0.4% | 96.5% |
| 74 | Banner County, Nebraska | $1,140,296 | 0.4% | 96.9% |
| 75 | Dawes County, Nebraska | $1,127,769 | 0.4% | 97.2% |
| 76 | Rock County, Nebraska | $1,055,633 | 0.3% | 97.6% |
| 77 | Wheeler County, Nebraska | $1,052,443 | 0.3% | 97.9% |
| 78 | Dakota County, Nebraska | $1,039,877 | 0.3% | 98.3% |
| 79 | Douglas County, Nebraska | $861,958 | 0.3% | 98.5% |
| 80 | Hitchcock County, Nebraska | $813,401 | 0.3% | 98.8% |
| 81 | Boyd County, Nebraska | $702,112 | 0.2% | 99.0% |
| 82 | Logan County, Nebraska | $587,454 | 0.2% | 99.2% |
| 83 | Cherry County, Nebraska | $484,713 | 0.2% | 99.4% |
| 84 | Garfield County, Nebraska | $435,333 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 85 | Sioux County, Nebraska | $341,994 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 86 | Loup County, Nebraska | $291,661 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 87 | McPherson County, Nebraska | $275,399 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 88 | Keya Paha County, Nebraska | $239,633 | 0.1% | 99.9% |
| 89 | Arthur County, Nebraska | $146,506 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 90 | Blaine County, Nebraska | $72,024 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 91 | Thomas County, Nebraska | $16,645 | 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.
