Counties that depend economically on farming and receive large amounts of Federal commodity payments will receive the greatest, most direct impact of farm policy adjustments. Yet, as their numbers declined, they became concentrated in a relatively small number of congressional districts in the Nation's midsection, limiting their political strength in Congress where farm policy is determined. More than 700 of the Nation's 2,443 rural counties depend on farming for at least 20 percent of their income and employment. This study, considering these as "farming-dependent" counties, identifies their geographic location and socioeconomic characteristics. About 200 of these 700 counties receive the highest per capita farm payments and are most dependent on farming.