Farm Subsidy Map: Every State Ranked by USDA Payments

Geographic Distribution of Farm Subsidies

Farm subsidies in the United States are far from evenly distributed. The top 10 states account for roughly 60% of all USDA subsidy payments, with Texas, Iowa, and Kansas leading the pack. This concentration reflects the geographic reality of American agriculture — the Great Plains and Midwest dominate commodity crop production.

But raw totals don't tell the whole story. When measured per capita, rural states like North Dakota and South Dakota surge to the top. And when measured as a percentage of total farm income, North Dakota's 69% dependency rate reveals how deeply some state economies rely on federal payments — compared to California's mere 2%.

This geographic disparity has major implications for farm policy debates. States that receive the most subsidies per capita tend to have outsized political influence on farm bill negotiations, particularly through the Senate where every state gets equal representation regardless of population.

For deeper analysis, see State Disparities, Per Capita Analysis, and State Dependency Rankings.