FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Hickman County, Kentucky

$6.7M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)

Underserved Score: 35/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Hickman County

$6.7M in USDA farm subsidies to Hickman County recipients (2025).

Sum of payments to 395 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2025 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2025)

Emergency Commodity Assistance (ECAP, one-time) $3.2M
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $1.5M
Disaster Payments $1.3M
Supplemental Disaster Relief (SDRP, one-time, included in Disaster Payments) $1.3M
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $796,480

Selected USDA programs recorded in this county for 2025, each shown as its own figure. This is not a breakdown of the headline total above and the rows are not meant to be added up: the list is not exhaustive, and where one program sits inside another the same dollars appear on two lines, so a total of these rows can come out higher than the headline. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database / USDA, 2025. SDRP is part of the Disaster Payments figure, not additional to it. Emergency Commodity Assistance, Supplemental Disaster Relief are one-time programs funded by the American Relief Act, 2025.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2025 Total
1 J.D.H.S. $309,883
2 L.D. $245,368
3 R.D. $245,368
4 Deweese Farms LLC $223,924
5 Dj Stephens Farms LLC $220,636
6 Webb Farms Inc $215,901
7 J.D.H.J. $186,786
8 Harper Farms $179,659
9 M & S Davis Properties LLC $171,822
10 Davis Farms Inc $169,691

Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2025). These named payments sum toward the headline total above. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.

About Farming in Hickman County

The economic backdrop frames farming in Hickman County: about 19% of residents live below the poverty line (USDA ERS), a level at which USDA's beginning-farmer and limited-resource provisions may be relevant. On a separate note, veterans make up about 9% of the adult population (USDA ERS) — a community where veteran-and-beginning-farmer USDA programs may be especially worth a look.

Hickman County has roughly 226 farms working about 111,590 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~494 acres per farm.

In Hickman County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $188/acre and farmland is valued near $5,670/acre (USDA NASS).

Hickman County is predominantly soybeans country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are soybeans (~53% of harvested cropland), corn (~39% of harvested cropland), and wheat (~16% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 1 head per 100 farmland acres (about 698 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Hickman County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 19% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 395 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2025). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby Kentucky counties listed below, Hickman County's Underserved Score (35/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~42/100), ranking above 3 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

As a heavily row-crop county, Hickman County farms growing covered commodities may be eligible for commodity-support programs such as Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and for federal crop insurance — eligibility depends on your crops and base acres, so check with your FSA office.

Local signals from public data: Receives near or above the KY-average USDA $/acre.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Hickman County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Hickman County apply for FSA and NRCS programs and get free, in-person help — they handle program sign-ups, conservation plans, and loan applications.

Farm Service Agency
Hickman County Farm Service Agency
205 State Route 123 W, Clinton, KY
(270) 653-2721
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Clinton Service Center
205 State Route 123 W, Clinton, KY

Source: USDA Service Center locator (Farmers.gov). Office details can change — confirm current hours and appointments via farmers.gov/service-center-locator.

FarmGrant Underserved Score

35 out of 100
Near State Average
#76 of 103 most underserved in Kentucky (27th pctile)
26th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 1.1/25
Producer Priority? 24.3/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 8.8/25
What drives this score
  • Receives near or above the KY-average USDA $/acre.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Farming-dependent county economy
  • High veteran population (9.4%)
  • Above-median insured loss ratio (2.61).

The Underserved Score (0–100) is a descriptive, relative measure of how little USDA farm-program support this county has historically received per acre compared with other counties — built from up to three public-data components (USDA support per acre, producer-priority composition, and crop-insurance coverage). Lower USDA $/acre often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land use, not unclaimed funding. This is not a measure of need, deservedness, or eligibility, and it does not predict that any farm will receive funding. Sources: USDA NASS, RMA, ERS, and EWG subsidy records.

Programs to look at in Hickman County

These are USDA programs commonly relevant to counties like this one, based on public county patterns. They are not a determination that you qualify — you may be eligible; check with your local FSA or NRCS office.

Conservation programs most farms can use

Counties receiving below-average USDA dollars per acre are often under-enrolled in conservation programs open to most land. You may be eligible — these are worth asking your NRCS or FSA office about.

CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) →EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) →
Priority for veteran producers

This county has a notable veteran-producer population. These USDA programs carry veteran priority — if that's you, they're worth a look.

FSA Microloan →FSA Direct Operating Loan →
Disaster & loss-protection programs

This county shows an elevated insured loss history. These disaster and risk-protection programs are commonly relevant — coverage and eligibility depend on your operation.

LFP (Livestock Forage Disaster Program) →
Commodity support (if you grow program crops)

If you grow covered program crops, these commodity-support programs may apply. Eligibility depends on your crops and base acres — check with your FSA office.

ARC-CO (Agriculture Risk Coverage — County) →
See the full set of USDA programs you could qualify for → free Subsidy Finder

USDA Funding Per Acre

Historically, Hickman County received about $60.10 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in KY for USDA $/acre. That ranks #424 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (111,590 acres, USDA NASS 2022 Census). A descriptive county-wide statistic — not a prediction of what any individual farm received or will receive. This is the same axis as the Underserved Score above (less $/acre → higher Underserved Score, currently 35).

See how Hickman County ranks against all U.S. counties →

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
4,447
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$56,348
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
18.7%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
4.5%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$188/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$5,670/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
699
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
102,907
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Hickman County receive?

Hickman County recipients received about $6.7M in USDA farm subsidies in 2025, per the EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm). This is a single-year county total of recorded payments, not a forecast of future funding.

What USDA programs are available to farmers in Hickman County?

As a mainly soybeans-growing county, Hickman County farms with covered program crops may be eligible for commodity support (ARC/PLC) and federal crop insurance, alongside conservation programs (CRP, EQIP, CSP), disaster assistance, and FSA loans. Eligibility depends on your farm; use the free Subsidy Finder to see programs you could qualify for, then confirm with your local FSA or NRCS office.

How is the FarmGrant Underserved Score calculated?

The Underserved Score (0–100; 35 for Hickman County — Near State Average) is a descriptive, relative measure of how little USDA farm-program support this county has historically received per acre compared with other counties, built from three public-data components — USDA support per acre, producer-priority composition, and crop-insurance coverage (USDA NASS, RMA, ERS, and EWG records). Lower USDA support per acre often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land use rather than unclaimed funding. It is not a measure of need or eligibility and does not predict that any farm will receive funding.

Nearby Counties in Kentucky

Programs your farm could qualify for

Farms in Hickman County may qualify for USDA programs based on crop, conservation, and disaster activity. Run the free Subsidy Finder to see which programs you could qualify for, then prep your local USDA office visit.

Find Your Programs Prep USDA Visit Deadlines

Data as of August 27, 2026. Subsidy figures: USDA/EWG 2025 release. Farmland acres: USDA NASS 2022 Census. Underserved Score refreshed monthly. Each figure above carries its own data year; this page is never fresher than its oldest input.