25 Farm Subsidy Facts That Will Surprise You
The U.S. farm subsidy system distributes over $147 billion across 31.7 million payments. Here are the most surprising facts from our analysis of USDA payment data (2017–2025).
1. Total farm subsidies exceed $147 billion
From 2017 to 2025, the USDA distributed $147.3 billion in farm subsidy payments — more than the GDP of many countries.
See the dashboard →2. 2020 was the biggest year ever: $38.7 billion
COVID-era spending pushed 2020 subsidies to $38.7B — more than the previous three years combined. CFAP payments alone totaled over $23 billion.
Explore 2020 data →3. Texas receives more subsidies than any other state: $12.6 billion
Texas leads all states with $12.6B in total payments, driven by cotton, livestock forage, and emergency programs.
See Texas data →4. Iowa is #2 at $11.7 billion — mostly CRP and trade war payments
Iowa's $3.15B in CRP payments alone exceeds many states' total subsidy amounts. Trade war (MFP) payments added another $1.5B.
See Iowa data →5. The top recipient received over $2 million
Top individual recipients collected over $2 million each in subsidies from 2017–2025, while the average payment is just $4,637.
See top recipients →6. CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) is the single biggest program: $15.7 billion
CRP pays farmers to keep environmentally sensitive land out of production. It's distributed $15.7B across 6.3 million payments.
Read about CRP →7. CFAP (COVID relief) distributed $14.2 billion in a single year
The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) was the second-largest single program, with most payments going out in 2020.
Read about COVID spending →8. There are 157 different subsidy programs
The USDA runs 157 distinct subsidy programs — from Price Loss Coverage to the Seafood Trade Relief Program to Organic Cost Share.
Browse all programs →9. Trade war payments (MFP) totaled $13.5 billion
The Market Facilitation Program paid farmers $13.5B to offset losses from the US-China trade war — mostly in 2019.
Read about trade war spending →10. Price Loss Coverage distributes $14.2 billion
PLC pays farmers when crop prices fall below reference prices. It's the third-largest program, concentrated in cotton, rice, and peanut states.
See program categories →11. Subsidies flow to 28,875 counties and county-equivalents
Farm subsidies reach virtually every corner of America, spanning all 50 states plus territories.
Explore counties →12. California receives $6.2B despite not being a “farm state” in popular imagination
California ranks 9th nationally — its dairy, specialty crops, and emergency payments make it one of the biggest subsidy recipients.
See California data →13. The average payment is just $4,637
Despite billion-dollar program totals, the average individual payment is $4,637 — less than a month's rent in most major cities.
Try the subsidy calculator →14. Livestock Forage Program paid $7 billion for drought relief
LFP compensates ranchers for grazing losses due to drought. It surged to $1.9B in 2022 during severe Western drought.
Read about disaster spending →15. Emergency spending programs total over $6.5 billion
Emergency Relief Programs for non-specialty and specialty crops distributed $6.5B+ to help farmers recover from natural disasters.
See disaster analysis →16. North Dakota receives more per capita than any large state
With $7.7B going to fewer than 800,000 people, North Dakota's per-capita subsidy rate dwarfs larger states.
See per-capita analysis →17. Dairy Margin Coverage paid $2.4 billion to dairy farmers
DMC protects dairy farmers when the margin between milk prices and feed costs shrinks. It peaked at $1.16B in 2023.
Browse programs →18. 2025 spending is already $2.4 billion (and counting)
With data still being recorded, 2025 has already distributed $2.4B — led by emergency livestock relief and specialty crop assistance.
See 2025 data →19. Tulare County, CA is the #1 county: $807 million
A single California county received more than 20 entire states. Dairy and specialty crop programs drive Tulare's massive total.
See county rankings →20. The Seafood Trade Relief Program paid $292 million
Even seafood producers got trade war relief — $292M went to fisheries, primarily in Alaska and Maine.
Browse all programs →21. Sugar beet cooperatives received $285 million in a single WHIP payment
The Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program made a $285M payment to sugar beet cooperatives — one of the largest single disbursements.
See concentration analysis →22. Puerto Rico received $463 million — mostly hurricane relief
Post-hurricane WHIP payments made up $193M of Puerto Rico's total, highlighting how disaster programs dominate territory payments.
See all states →23. ARC-County covers 5.7 million payments worth $9.2 billion
Agricultural Risk Coverage (County) is a safety net that pays when county crop revenue falls below a benchmark. It covers more payments than almost any other program.
See categories →24. Spending swung from $6.4B (2017) to $38.7B (2020) — a 6x increase in 3 years
The combination of trade wars, COVID, and disaster programs created an unprecedented spending surge.
See spending trends →25. Banks and financial institutions appear among top recipients
Entities like “First Farmers Bank & Trust” and “AgSouth Farm Credit” receive subsidies as lenders who hold farm payment assignments.
Read about corporate farms →
About This Data
All facts on this page are derived from USDA Farm Service Agency payment records covering 2017–2025. Data includes 31,759,593 individual payments totaling $147.3 billion across 157 programs. This data is updated regularly from official USDA sources.
Want to dig deeper? Use our interactive tools to explore, compare, and analyze farm subsidy data yourself.