The federal government distributes over $6.7 trillion annually through contracts, grants, and direct obligations. While every county receives some federal funding, the amounts vary by orders of magnitude. Counties with major military installations, federal research centers, or large government facilities can receive tens of billions of dollars per year.
We analyzed USASpending.gov FY2024 data for all 3,100+ US counties to find the 25 counties receiving the most total federal funding. These rankings reveal where the federal government concentrates its largest investments — and why.
The 25 Counties Receiving the Most Federal Funding
Ranked by total FY2024 federal obligations from highest to lowest.
| Rank | County | State | Total Spending | Per-Capita | Contracts | Grants |
|---|
Why These Counties Top the List
The highest-total-spending counties cluster around a few well-known drivers of federal investment:
- Major military installations: Counties hosting large bases, defense contractors, or military hospitals receive enormous contract and personnel-related funding.
- Federal research centers: National laboratories, NIH facilities, and NASA centers channel billions into their host counties.
- Large populations: High-population counties naturally receive more total funding simply due to scale, even with moderate per-capita rates.
- Major federal agencies: Counties that host significant federal office complexes or operations centers see elevated contract volumes.
Total Spending vs. Per-Capita Spending
Total federal spending can be misleading. A county with 5 million residents and $10 billion in funding has just $2,000 per resident — below the national average. Conversely, a small county with a large military base might show $50,000+ per resident while ranking lower in total dollars.
For a more accurate picture of federal investment intensity, see our ranking of counties by per-capita federal spending.
How to Use This Data
- Business development: Counties with high contract volumes are prime markets for federal contractors and subcontractors.
- Economic research: Total spending reveals where federal investment is concentrated geographically.
- Policy analysis: Understanding which counties receive the most funding helps evaluate federal investment distribution.
- Site selection: Companies seeking to locate near federal customers can use this data to identify target markets.
Methodology
All data comes from USASpending.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury, FY2024 (October 2023 – September 2024). Counties are ranked by total federal obligations (contracts + grants + other). Counties with missing spending data were excluded.
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.