How much federal funding does your state receive per resident compared to the rest of the country? We calculated average per-capita federal spending for all 50 states (plus DC) using county-level USASpending.gov data. The national median is approximately $7,500 per resident — but state averages range from under $5,000 to over $15,000.
Below is the complete ranking, plus breakdowns of the most and least federally funded states in FY2024.
Per-Capita Federal Spending by State — Full Rankings
All 0 states ranked by average per-capita federal spending, from highest to lowest.
| Rank | State | Avg Per-Capita | Counties |
|---|
10 Most Federally Funded States (Per Capita)
These states receive the highest average per-capita federal spending. Most have significant military presence, federal research facilities, or large rural areas served by federal programs.
10 Least Federally Funded States (Per Capita)
These states receive the lowest average per-capita federal spending. They tend to have fewer military installations, smaller federal facility footprints, and more urbanized populations where federal spending is less concentrated.
Why State Averages Can Be Misleading
State averages mask enormous variation at the county level. Virginia, for example, includes both Arlington County (massive defense contracting hub) and rural counties with minimal federal presence. The state average falls somewhere in the middle, but your experience depends entirely on which county you examine.
This is why SpendByCounty provides county-level data for every state. Click any state name in the table above to see the full county breakdown, including the highest and lowest funded counties in that state.
Methodology
State averages are calculated from county-level federal spending data from USASpending.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury, FY2024. Each state's average is the mean of its county-level per-capita federal obligations. States are ranked by this average from highest to lowest.
Data source: USASpending.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury, FY2024 (Oct 2023 – Sep 2024). All figures are estimates based on federal obligation data and may not reflect current spending.