House of Representatives

109th Congress

Social Security Recipients and Farms by Congressional District

(Data Not Available for New Districts in Texas; Pennsylvania and Maine not precise)

Social Security is important to residents of rural areas and rural voters are an important constituency in the effort to preserve Social Security. The table below provides two means of comparing the number of Social Security recipients to the rural nature of congressional districts: percentage rural population from the 2000 Census and number of farms from the 2002 Census of Agriculture. Democrats opposing the Administration's push for private accounts have repeatedly made the point that income is relatively low in rural areas and a column showing median household income from the 2000 Census has been included for comparison to the other factors. The table may be sorted for most columns by clicking on Sort at the top of the column. Further detail on numbers of farms by congressional district, including farms, value of agricultural products and extent of federal payments may be found here.

For instance, sorting by number of farms and looking at the percentage of Social Security recipients by voting age population permits targeting districts which rank high in both categories. Note that the percentage is probably on the high side in many cases as 2000 census figures are used along with 2003 Social Security data. Nonetheless, the percentages, especially when read together with the absolute numbers of recipients, provide a reliable guide to proportion of recipients. Also, the second round of Texas redistricting makes the Department of Agriculture figures incorrect and they are not included here. While Pennsylvania redistricted a second time and Maine's first redistricting occurred after the figures were published, they are included here because the changes were much smaller. Therefore, the figures for Pennsylvania and Maine are less precise.

Also, thirteen congressional districts in addition to those in Texas do not appear in the table. In the individual district profiles on the Department of Agriculture site those 13 are designated as "Congressional Profile Not Available for this District." The thirteen districts are: NJ 8, 9; NY 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16; WI 4, IL 1, 3, 4, 5

Other tables relevant to Social Security, including recipients by county for congressional districts in which Republican Members of the House may break from the Administration's position and the table showing colleges and universities by congressional district, an aid to reaching young people. These and other tables may be found through the Techpolitics Home Page. Bill Cooper of FairData has mapped the farm data. Click on the map or draw a rectangle with the mouse to zoom in to see smaller congressional districts. We have extensive additional farm and agriculture data by congressional district which is not on the web site, including number of farms by size (see Home Page for contact information).

Data Set Sorted By allfarms in Descending Order

Representative
State Sort
District
Party Sort
Number of Farms
Sort
Percent Rural Population
Sort
Median Household Income
Sort
Total Social Security Recipients
Sort
Total Social Security as Percent of Voting Age Population
Sort
Jerry Moran
KS
1
R
34,746
47.6%
$34,869
132,051
25.4%
Collin C. Peterson
MN
7
D
32,629
66.0%
$36,453
124,090
26.1%
Tom Osborne
NE
3
R
31,774
53.9%
$33,866
115,856
26.3%
Stephanie Herseth
SD
A-L
D
31,736
48.1%
$35,282
137,879
23.5%
Earl Pomeroy
ND
A-L
D
30,619
44.2%
$34,604
114,032
22.7%
Frank D. Lucas
OK
3
R
30,462
49.3%
$32,098
128,728
23.5%
Dan Boren
OK
2
D
30,416
64.4%
$27,885
148,193
26.9%
Dennis R. Rehberg
MT
A-L
R
27,870
46.0%
$33,024
163,655
22.8%
Ron Kind
WI
3
D
27,124
56.9%
$40,006
119,835
22.8%
Steve King
IA
5
R
26,562
50.6%
$36,773
123,845
27.2%
Ike Skelton
MO
4
D
26,556
60.1%
$34,541
124,021
24.9%
Tom Latham
IA
4
R
24,501
49.5%
$38,242
113,527
24.7%
Ed Whitfield
KY
1
R
24,157
63.5%
$30,360
146,046
26.6%
Ron Lewis
KY
2
R
23,291
52.8%
$35,724
134,497
25.0%
Kenny C. Hulshof
MO
9
R
22,595
54.2%
$36,693
118,053
23.6%
Gil Gutknecht
MN
1
R
21,384
43.5%
$40,941
119,040
24.9%
Sam Graves
MO
6
R
20,879
33.7%
$41,225
111,861
22.7%
Jo Ann Emerson
MO
8
R
19,816
60.4%
$27,865
143,171
28.3%
Jim Ryun
KS
2
R
19,459
40.2%
$37,855
113,127
21.1%
Lincoln Davis
TN
4
D
19,059
67.9%
$31,645
130,291
25.2%
John Shimkus
IL
19
R
18,783
47.8%
$38,955
129,555
24.7%
Bart Gordon
TN
6
D
17,959
46.8%
$39,721
123,910
24.3%
Jeff Fortenberry
NE
1
R
17,159
34.9%
$40,021
95,721
21.3%
David R. Obey
WI
7
D
16,407
58.0%
$39,026
132,820
25.3%
Geoff Davis
KY
4
R
15,394
40.3%
$40,150
117,167
21.7%
Tom Cole
OK
4
R
14,907
36.7%
$35,510
116,433
21.2%
Greg Walden
OR
2
R
14,768
35.8%
$35,600
138,552
25.8%
Marion Berry
AR
1
D
14,524
55.5%
$28,940
147,981
27.5%
John Boozman
AR
3
R
14,277
45.6%
$33,915
134,469
25.0%
Rick Boucher
VA
9
D
14,103
65.9%
$29,783
162,005
29.2%
Jim Nussle
IA
1
R
14,046
33.7%
$38,727
107,175
23.4%
James A. Leach
IA
2
R
13,904
34.0%
$40,121
100,681
21.7%
Michael K. Simpson
ID
2
R
13,757
33.0%
$36,934
98,265
20.1%
Robert B. Aderholt
AL
4
R
13,754
73.5%
$31,344
137,937
26.5%
William L. Jenkins
TN
1
R
13,428
44.6%
$31,228
141,511
26.7%
Charles W. ``Chip'' Pickering
MS
3
R
13,241
59.7%
$31,907
142,086
24.4%
Roy Blunt
MO
7
R
13,028
40.9%
$32,929
125,040
24.9%
Roger F. Wicker
MS
1
R
12,947
61.5%
$32,535
140,524
24.3%
John S. Tanner
TN
8
D
12,620
53.0%
$33,001
120,997
23.7%
James L. Oberstar
MN
8
D
12,619
62.6%
$37,911
130,069
26.7%
Ben Chandler
KY
6
D
12,448
28.7%
$37,544
103,972
18.6%
Paul E. Gillmor
OH
5
R
12,354
51.1%
$41,701
108,468
22.1%
Marilyn N. Musgrave
CO
4
R
12,156
24.9%
$43,389
84,798
17.5%
John T. Salazar
CO
3
D
12,015
39.0%
$35,970
111,005
22.5%
Mike Ross
AR
4
D
11,944
55.3%
$29,675
145,085
26.9%
Doc Hastings
WA
4
R
11,752
29.5%
$37,764
100,678
20.8%
Robert W. Ney
OH
18
R
11,737
56.7%
$34,462
119,924
24.1%
Leonard L. Boswell
IA
3
D
11,642
26.9%
$43,176
100,850
22.1%
Timothy V. Johnson
IL
15
R
11,576
35.8%
$38,583
113,770
21.5%
Michael E. Sodrel
IN
9
R
11,428
47.7%
$39,011
115,327
21.0%
C. L. ``Butch'' Otter
ID
1
R
11,260
34.2%
$38,364
113,275
22.8%
Mike Pence
IN
6
R
10,845
40.7%
$39,002
134,911
25.1%
Harold Rogers
KY
5
R
10,761
78.7%
$21,915
153,423
26.8%
Thomas E. Petri
WI
6
R
10,625
39.3%
$44,242
130,705
24.8%
Lane Evans
IL
17
D
10,613
28.9%
$35,066
132,704
25.2%
Wally Herger
CA
2
R
10,253
32.3%
$33,559
133,426
26.5%
Virginia Foxx
NC
5
R
10,156
57.1%
$39,710
125,862
25.0%
Ray LaHood
IL
18
R
10,105
32.0%
$41,934
126,573
24.2%
Virgil H. Goode Jr.
VA
5
R
10,059
64.0%
$35,739
135,509
25.4%
Charlie Norwood
GA
9
R
10,034
65.9%
$39,987
115,675
23.0%
Mark Green
WI
8
R
9,853
44.0%
$43,274
117,818
22.6%
Michael G. Oxley
OH
4
R
9,610
41.4%
$40,100
111,060
22.5%
Barbara Cubin
WY
A-L
R
9,422
34.8%
$37,892
78,722
20.2%
Cathy McMorris
WA
5
R
9,367
28.1%
$35,720
114,753
22.1%
Todd Tiahrt
KS
4
R
9,168
21.2%
$40,917
110,864
21.4%
Peter A. DeFazio
OR
4
D
9,086
30.8%
$35,796
147,189
26.7%
John N. Hostettler
IN
8
R
8,994
41.9%
$36,732
132,666
24.4%
Terry Everett
AL
2
R
8,885
49.9%
$32,460
123,827
23.9%
Bennie G. Thompson
MS
2
D
8,847
37.2%
$26,894
122,168
21.2%
Mark E. Souder
IN
3
R
8,831
34.9%
$44,013
105,229
20.3%
Devin Nunes
CA
21
R
8,787
20.1%
$36,047
90,159
19.2%
Marsha Blackburn
TN
7
R
8,728
39.0%
$50,090
96,646
19.4%
Bill Shuster
PA
9
R
8,719
59.5%
$34,910
135,329
26.1%
Dave Camp
MI
4
R
8,597
58.6%
$39,020
128,874
24.3%
John J. H. ``Joe'' Schwarz
MI
7
R
8,580
46.0%
$45,181
126,769
24.2%
Jim Marshall
GA
3
D
8,461
51.2%
$31,433
109,586
21.4%
Rodney Alexander
LA
5
R
8,422
47.1%
$27,453
113,184
22.1%
Ted Strickland
OH
6
D
8,234
50.0%
$32,888
132,889
25.9%
Shelley Moore Capito
WV
2
R
8,207
53.8%
$33,198
129,138
26.1%
Darlene Hooley
OR
5
D
8,174
19.6%
$44,409
118,510
22.1%
Alan B. Mollohan
WV
1
D
8,127
46.3%
$30,303
128,491
25.8%
Tammy Baldwin
WI
2
D
7,821
24.4%
$46,979
100,584
18.6%
Bob Goodlatte
VA
6
R
7,634
35.3%
$37,773
127,682
24.1%
Zach Wamp
TN
3
R
7,607
35.8%
$35,434
126,314
24.3%
Robert E. (Bud) Cramer Jr.
AL
5
D
7,592
40.6%
$38,054
112,134
21.9%
Don Sherwood
PA
10
R
7,354
55.4%
$35,996
140,730
26.9%
Gene Taylor
MS
4
D
7,151
46.3%
$33,023
128,603
22.1%
Tom Udall
NM
3
D
7,046
37.2%
$35,058
91,897
19.4%
Sanford D. Bishop Jr.
GA
2
D
6,925
41.4%
$29,354
106,191
21.2%
John Kline
MN
2
R
6,784
19.9%
$61,344
71,994
15.7%
Bart Stupak
MI
1
D
6,783
66.6%
$34,076
163,632
30.5%
Vic Snyder
AR
2
D
6,738
33.8%
$37,221
116,134
21.4%
Stevan Pearce
NM
2
R
6,724
29.0%
$29,269
113,818
24.2%
Mark R. Kennedy
MN
6
R
6,691
36.2%
$56,862
73,284
15.8%
Donald A. Manzullo
IL
16
R
6,592
21.6%
$48,960
108,085
21.5%
BERNARD SANDERS
VT
A-L
I
6,571
61.8%
$40,856
108,247
22.0%
J. Gresham Barrett
SC
3
R
6,543
49.7%
$36,092
137,824
25.2%
George Radanovich
CA
19
R
6,521
19.4%
$41,225
101,155
20.5%
John E. Peterson
PA
5
R
6,507
54.0%
$33,254
133,803
25.2%
Sherwood Boehlert
NY
24
R
6,405
49.5%
$36,082
128,438
24.1%
John M. McHugh
NY
23
R
6,327
65.3%
$35,434
117,746
22.4%
Joseph R. Pitts
PA
16
R
6,315
24.0%
$45,934
109,829
22.1%
Charles H. Taylor
NC
11
R
6,305
56.1%
$34,720
151,120
29.4%
Charles W. Boustany Jr.
LA
7
R
6,199
31.1%
$31,453
106,591
21.1%
Steve Buyer
IN
4
R
6,110
31.8%
$45,947
106,160
19.9%
John R. ``Randy'' Kuhl Jr.
NY
29
R
6,109
41.6%
$41,875
126,078
24.3%
John J. Duncan Jr.
TN
2
R
6,064
28.6%
$36,796
120,802
23.2%
Mike Thompson
CA
1
D
6,057
24.0%
$38,918
112,849
21.9%
Jack Kingston
GA
1
R
5,943
42.1%
$36,158
105,536
21.1%
Chris Chocola
IN
2
R
5,909
27.2%
$40,381
119,912
22.6%
Jerry F. Costello
IL
12
D
5,847
23.3%
$35,198
120,553
22.9%
Fred Upton
MI
6
R
5,831
41.7%
$40,943
117,810
22.5%
Candice S. Miller
MI
10
R
5,743
34.0%
$52,690
108,500
21.0%
Peter Hoekstra
MI
2
R
5,704
43.8%
$42,589
120,438
23.5%
Dan Burton
IN
5
R
5,694
25.5%
$52,800
105,823
20.2%
Phil English
PA
3
R
5,612
41.6%
$35,884
130,210
25.1%
John M. Spratt Jr.
SC
5
D
5,549
53.3%
$35,416
122,883
22.8%
Jim McCrery
LA
4
R
5,480
40.7%
$31,085
109,238
21.6%
John A. Boehner
OH
8
R
5,434
21.9%
$43,753
97,445
19.7%
Jim Matheson
UT
2
D
5,394
15.1%
$45,583
100,096
17.8%
Mike Rogers
AL
3
R
5,370
46.7%
$30,806
124,987
23.8%
David Wu
OR
1
D
5,357
13.3%
$48,464
91,281
16.9%
Rob Bishop
UT
1
R
5,334
11.3%
$45,058
81,469
14.9%
Howard Coble
NC
6
R
5,227
48.4%
$43,503
122,696
24.6%
Ed Case
HI
2
D
5,190
16.2%
$48,686
91,531
19.3%
Ginny Brown-Waite
FL
5
R
5,182
35.5%
$34,815
250,771
47.0%
Nathan Deal
GA
10
R
5,150
48.0%
$42,037
105,045
21.1%
Patrick T. McHenry
NC
10
R
5,126
50.1%
$37,649
123,591
24.6%
Cliff Stearns
FL
6
R
5,073
30.6%
$36,846
133,555
25.4%
Vacant
OH
2
R
5,048
27.0%
$46,813
103,147
20.9%
Jerry Weller
IL
11
R
5,022
21.8%
$47,800
100,618
19.6%
Bob Etheridge
NC
2
D
4,961
50.5%
$36,510
97,612
19.3%
James E. Clyburn
SC
6
D
4,955
52.0%
$28,967
119,607
21.9%
Roscoe G. Bartlett
MD
6
R
4,922
39.5%
$50,957
107,995
20.7%
David L. Hobson
OH
7
R
4,909
28.7%
$43,248
101,864
20.3%
Ralph Regula
OH
16
R
4,893
26.4%
$41,801
117,302
23.9%
Brian Baird
WA
3
D
4,829
29.1%
$44,426
121,605
24.0%
Mike McIntyre
NC
7
D
4,701
54.9%
$33,998
126,697
24.9%
Michael H. Michaud
ME
2
D
4,624
69.0%
$32,600
131,532
26.3%
John T. Doolittle
CA
4
R
4,579
32.6%
$49,387
120,879
24.1%
Dennis A. Cardoza
CA
18
D
4,566
8.7%
$34,211
86,731
18.6%
Chris Cannon
UT
3
R
4,554
8.8%
$46,568
74,986
13.9%
Eric Cantor
VA
7
R
4,539
30.0%
$50,990
103,370
20.2%
Nick J. Rahall II
WV
3
D
4,478
61.6%
$25,630
147,825
28.9%
John P. Murtha
PA
12
D
4,456
37.5%
$30,612
151,725
28.4%
Richard W. Pombo
CA
11
R
4,438
9.9%
$61,996
90,448
18.4%
G. K. Butterfield
NC
1
D
4,356
52.3%
$28,410
130,336
25.9%
Todd Russell Platts
PA
19
R
4,339
28.6%
$45,345
118,234
22.9%
Rick Larsen
WA
2
D
4,258
30.6%
$45,441
101,072
19.9%
John E. Sweeney
NY
20
R
4,193
55.1%
$44,239
129,133
24.5%
Tim Holden
PA
17
D
4,150
31.4%
$40,473
129,405
24.9%
Wayne T. Gilchrest
MD
1
R
4,051
35.8%
$51,918
123,611
23.5%
Ernest J. Istook Jr.
OK
5
R
3,973
12.5%
$33,893
106,629
19.4%
Mike Rogers
MI
8
R
3,916
30.0%
$52,510
87,165
16.6%
Allen Boyd
FL
2
D
3,857
37.9%
$34,718
111,576
20.8%
Frank R. Wolf
VA
10
R
3,736
16.7%
$71,560
62,088
12.6%
Artur Davis
AL
7
D
3,732
27.8%
$26,672
128,246
24.3%
Jim Costa
CA
20
D
3,719
8.8%
$26,800
66,928
14.4%
Lynn A. Westmoreland
GA
8
R
3,700
41.5%
$52,406
99,979
20.2%
Darrell E. Issa
CA
49
R
3,694
9.7%
$46,445
95,200
19.9%
Adam H. Putnam
FL
12
R
3,690
15.7%
$37,769
140,930
27.4%
William M. Thomas
CA
22
R
3,621
17.5%
$41,801
103,019
20.8%
John Sullivan
OK
1
R
3,542
10.4%
$38,610
113,540
21.0%
Phil Gingrey
GA
11
R
3,537
27.7%
$37,582
101,898
20.1%
J. Dennis Hastert
IL
14
R
3,518
13.8%
$56,314
82,655
16.7%
Michael R. Turner
OH
3
R
3,518
15.3%
$41,591
115,196
23.0%
Katherine Harris
FL
13
R
3,502
10.6%
$40,187
182,035
33.6%
Thomas M. Reynolds
NY
26
R
3,486
28.8%
$46,653
121,574
23.4%
Mark Foley
FL
16
R
3,409
15.5%
$39,408
178,715
33.8%
Robin Hayes
NC
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