FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Sumter County, South Carolina

$6.4M in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)

Underserved Score: 36/100

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Sumter County

$6.4M in USDA farm subsidies to Sumter County recipients (2025).

Sum of payments to 205 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) $2.5M
Disaster Payments $1.7M
Supplemental Disaster Relief (SDRP, one-time, included in Disaster Payments) $1.6M
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $1.4M
Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance (MASC, one-time) $569,926
Price Loss Coverage (PLC) $205,922
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $82,630

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, Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance, Supplemental Disaster Relief are one-time programs funded by the American Relief Act, 2025.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2025 Total
1 J-ray Farms Of South Carolina General Partnership $489,179
2 G.M.M. $382,628
3 L.N. $374,035
4 Four J Family Farms $345,609
5 Modern Turf Inc $327,546
6 Riverdale Farms Inc $305,443
7 C & S Farms LLC $287,027
8 T.J.F. $259,150
9 G.G.C. $251,943
10 Brogdon Family Farms $220,551

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

About Farming in Sumter County

Sumter County carries a notable veteran presence — veterans make up about 13% of the adult population (USDA ERS) — a community where veteran-and-beginning-farmer USDA programs may be especially worth a look. Alongside that, about 18% of residents live below the poverty line (USDA ERS), a level at which USDA's beginning-farmer and limited-resource provisions may be relevant.

Sumter County has roughly 445 farms working about 163,578 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~368 acres per farm.

In Sumter County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $50/acre and farmland is valued near $3,581/acre (USDA NASS).

Sumter County is predominantly corn country — a row crop county. Its leading harvested crops are corn (~36% of harvested cropland), soybeans (~32% of harvested cropland), and cotton (~12% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 4 head per 100 farmland acres (about 3,203 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Sumter County are relatively distributed: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 30% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 205 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2025). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

Among the nearby South Carolina counties listed below, Sumter County's Underserved Score (36/100) is lower (better-supported per acre) than the local average (~48/100), ranking above 1 of 6 of them (higher = historically less USDA $/acre than peers).

As a heavily row-crop county, Sumter 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 SC-average USDA $/acre.; High veteran population (12.9%).

Local USDA Offices for Sumter County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Sumter 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
Sumter County Farm Service Agency
1975 Castlerock Dr, Sumter, SC
(803) 905-7650
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Sumter Service Center
1975 Castlerock Dr, Sumter, SC
(803) 905-7650

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

36 out of 100
Near State Average
#30 of 44 most underserved in South Carolina (34th pctile)
29th national percentile
USDA Support Gap? 8.4/25
Producer Priority? 9.1/25
Insurance Coverage Gap? 10.7/25
What drives this score
  • Receives near or above the SC-average USDA $/acre.
  • High veteran population (12.9%)
  • Elevated insured loss ratio (3.06) — higher recorded crop-loss claims

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 Sumter 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, Sumter County received about $39.21 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is among the better-supported counties in SC for USDA $/acre. That ranks #972 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (163,578 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 36).

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

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
104,165
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$55,481
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
17.5%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
3.8%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$50/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$3,581/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)
Insurance Policies
977
(USDA RMA)
Acres Insured
63,559
(USDA RMA)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Sumter County receive?

Sumter County recipients received about $6.4M 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 Sumter County?

As a mainly corn-growing county, Sumter 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; 36 for Sumter 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 South Carolina

Programs your farm could qualify for

Farms in Sumter 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.