| Rank |
County |
Total USDA - Subsidies
2011 | Pct of
Total | Running
Percentage |
| 1 | Southampton County, Virginia | $5,933,807 | 6.3% | 6.3% |
| 2 | Pittsylvania County, Virginia | $5,535,386 | 5.9% | 12.1% |
| 3 | Accomack County, Virginia | $4,151,633 | 4.4% | 16.5% |
| 4 | Halifax County, Virginia | $4,137,943 | 4.4% | 20.9% |
| 5 | Suffolk City, Virginia | $2,911,417 | 3.1% | 24.0% |
| 6 | Northampton County, Virginia | $2,861,886 | 3.0% | 27.0% |
| 7 | Isle of Wight County, Virginia | $2,828,186 | 3.0% | 30.0% |
| 8 | Mecklenburg County, Virginia | $2,785,872 | 2.9% | 32.9% |
| 9 | Sussex County, Virginia | $2,685,578 | 2.8% | 35.8% |
| 10 | Essex County, Virginia | $2,193,665 | 2.3% | 38.1% |
| 11 | Dinwiddie County, Virginia | $2,105,748 | 2.2% | 40.3% |
| 12 | Franklin County, Virginia | $2,105,668 | 2.2% | 42.6% |
| 13 | Caroline County, Virginia | $2,103,526 | 2.2% | 44.8% |
| 14 | Greensville County, Virginia | $2,065,635 | 2.2% | 47.0% |
| 15 | Westmoreland County, Virginia | $2,036,001 | 2.2% | 49.1% |
| 16 | Brunswick County, Virginia | $2,032,716 | 2.2% | 51.3% |
| 17 | Surry County, Virginia | $2,010,190 | 2.1% | 53.4% |
| 18 | Northumberland County, Virginia | $1,922,911 | 2.0% | 55.4% |
| 19 | Hanover County, Virginia | $1,912,219 | 2.0% | 57.5% |
| 20 | King William County, Virginia | $1,788,527 | 1.9% | 59.4% |
| 21 | King and Queen County, Virginia | $1,552,666 | 1.6% | 61.0% |
| 22 | Augusta County, Virginia | $1,533,393 | 1.6% | 62.6% |
| 23 | Charlotte County, Virginia | $1,493,398 | 1.6% | 64.2% |
| 24 | Richmond County, Virginia | $1,485,924 | 1.6% | 65.8% |
| 25 | Amelia County, Virginia | $1,446,198 | 1.5% | 67.3% |
| 26 | Rockingham County, Virginia | $1,349,663 | 1.4% | 68.7% |
| 27 | Fauquier County, Virginia | $1,171,379 | 1.2% | 70.0% |
| 28 | Campbell County, Virginia | $1,125,517 | 1.2% | 71.2% |
| 29 | Chesapeake City, Virginia | $1,116,012 | 1.2% | 72.3% |
| 30 | Shenandoah County, Virginia | $1,027,665 | 1.1% | 73.4% |
| 31 | Lunenburg County, Virginia | $1,023,312 | 1.1% | 74.5% |
| 32 | Washington County, Virginia | $940,741 | 1.0% | 75.5% |
| 33 | Culpeper County, Virginia | $923,620 | 1.0% | 76.5% |
| 34 | Prince George County, Virginia | $897,705 | 0.9% | 77.4% |
| 35 | Charles City County, Virginia | $872,307 | 0.9% | 78.4% |
| 36 | Patrick County, Virginia | $869,178 | 0.9% | 79.3% |
| 37 | Albemarle County, Virginia | $825,277 | 0.9% | 80.1% |
| 38 | Lancaster County, Virginia | $756,139 | 0.8% | 80.9% |
| 39 | Prince Edward County, Virginia | $752,524 | 0.8% | 81.7% |
| 40 | Louisa County, Virginia | $744,733 | 0.8% | 82.5% |
| 41 | Virginia Beach City, Virginia | $699,186 | 0.7% | 83.3% |
| 42 | Frederick County, Virginia | $692,932 | 0.7% | 84.0% |
| 43 | Middlesex County, Virginia | $676,864 | 0.7% | 84.7% |
| 44 | Scott County, Virginia | $669,419 | 0.7% | 85.4% |
| 45 | Orange County, Virginia | $635,955 | 0.7% | 86.1% |
| 46 | Bedford County, Virginia | $624,024 | 0.7% | 86.8% |
| 47 | Madison County, Virginia | $614,613 | 0.7% | 87.4% |
| 48 | Goochland County, Virginia | $599,472 | 0.6% | 88.0% |
| 49 | New Kent County, Virginia | $588,945 | 0.6% | 88.7% |
| 50 | Russell County, Virginia | $576,004 | 0.6% | 89.3% |
| 51 | Nottoway County, Virginia | $556,553 | 0.6% | 89.9% |
| 52 | Smyth County, Virginia | $550,058 | 0.6% | 90.4% |
| 53 | Henrico County, Virginia | $544,893 | 0.6% | 91.0% |
| 54 | Gloucester County, Virginia | $531,004 | 0.6% | 91.6% |
| 55 | King George County, Virginia | $496,091 | 0.5% | 92.1% |
| 56 | Carroll County, Virginia | $492,110 | 0.5% | 92.6% |
| 57 | Lee County, Virginia | $458,424 | 0.5% | 93.1% |
| 58 | Loudoun County, Virginia | $421,896 | 0.4% | 93.6% |
| 59 | Rockbridge County, Virginia | $391,562 | 0.4% | 94.0% |
| 60 | Spotsylvania County, Virginia | $370,024 | 0.4% | 94.4% |
| 61 | Wythe County, Virginia | $361,904 | 0.4% | 94.8% |
| 62 | Clarke County, Virginia | $338,234 | 0.4% | 95.1% |
| 63 | Botetourt County, Virginia | $319,367 | 0.3% | 95.4% |
| 64 | Appomattox County, Virginia | $292,185 | 0.3% | 95.8% |
| 65 | Cumberland County, Virginia | $269,272 | 0.3% | 96.0% |
| 66 | Nelson County, Virginia | $255,963 | 0.3% | 96.3% |
| 67 | Powhatan County, Virginia | $252,571 | 0.3% | 96.6% |
| 68 | Page County, Virginia | $240,080 | 0.3% | 96.8% |
| 69 | Buckingham County, Virginia | $231,193 | 0.2% | 97.1% |
| 70 | Stafford County, Virginia | $229,167 | 0.2% | 97.3% |
| 71 | Fluvanna County, Virginia | $224,968 | 0.2% | 97.6% |
| 72 | Chesterfield County, Virginia | $210,278 | 0.2% | 97.8% |
| 73 | Montgomery County, Virginia | $190,499 | 0.2% | 98.0% |
| 74 | Prince William County, Virginia | $187,539 | 0.2% | 98.2% |
| 75 | Grayson County, Virginia | $186,858 | 0.2% | 98.4% |
| 76 | James City County, Virginia | $176,512 | 0.2% | 98.6% |
| 77 | Tazewell County, Virginia | $175,333 | 0.2% | 98.8% |
| 78 | Henry County, Virginia | $165,928 | 0.2% | 98.9% |
| 79 | Highland County, Virginia | $147,256 | 0.2% | 99.1% |
| 80 | Amherst County, Virginia | $124,460 | 0.1% | 99.2% |
| 81 | Bland County, Virginia | $94,732 | 0.1% | 99.3% |
| 82 | Greene County, Virginia | $89,825 | 0.1% | 99.4% |
| 83 | Mathews County, Virginia | $89,201 | 0.1% | 99.5% |
| 84 | Floyd County, Virginia | $82,940 | 0.1% | 99.6% |
| 85 | Pulaski County, Virginia | $81,680 | 0.1% | 99.7% |
| 86 | Rappahannock County, Virginia | $79,512 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 87 | Bath County, Virginia | $64,267 | 0.1% | 99.8% |
| 88 | Craig County, Virginia | $42,971 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 89 | Alleghany County, Virginia | $31,218 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 90 | Buchanan County, Virginia | $30,162 | 0.0% | 99.9% |
| 91 | Wise County, Virginia | $12,902 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 92 | Warren County, Virginia | $11,967 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 93 | Roanoke County, Virginia | $11,661 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 94 | Dickenson County, Virginia | $9,401 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 95 | Giles County, Virginia | $8,188 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 96 | York County, Virginia | $2,119 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
Source: Environmental Working Group. Compiled from USDA data.
Note: The information on conservation spending for 2011 is 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 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.
