States with the Most Federal Funding
Total federal spending for fiscal year 2011 is estimated to be $3.6 trillion, according to the Office of Management and Budget’s 2012 Mid-Session Review. Much of this amount was allocated to the states, with the most populous receiving the largest payouts.
The state that received the most in one lump sum was Florida. With 19.1 million residents, the state is the fourth-most populous in the nation. California, on the other hand, has 37.7 million residents, more than any other in the country, yet it received only the third-highest amount of federal dollars that year. Why is this?
States receive given amounts of federal funding for several reasons. Some of it pays for the operation of government agencies, some of it is distributed to contractors and some goes to entitlement programs, among other things.
Using data from USASpending.gov,an OMB website, CNBC.com presents the 10 states that received the most federal dollars per capita in fiscal year 2011. Five of the states are red states, three are blue and two are battlegrounds. Read ahead to see what they are.
By Daniel Bukszpan
Posted 28 Sept 2012
10. Maryland
Federal spending per capita: $11,280
Total federal spending: $65.74 billion
Number of residents: 5.8 million
Maryland was the recipient of the 13th-highest amount of federal dollars in fiscal year 2011. Of its top 10 prime awards, one went to the Defense Department, four went to Health and Human Services and five went to the Department of Homeland Security.
Lockheed Martin and Johns Hopkins University were the top two prime award contractors. Motorola Solutions and Honeywell Technology Solutions were two of the top five contract sub-awardees.
9. Texas
Federal spending per capita: $11,452
Total federal spending: $294 billion
Number of residents: 25.7 million
Texas was the second-highest recipient of total federal money. However, on a per capita basis, it almost brings up the rear of the top 10, with $11,452 in federal dollars spent per Texan.
Of the top 10 prime award received, three went to the Department of Health and Human Services. The rest went to the Department of Homeland Security. Prime award contractors included Lockheed Martin and the Raytheon.
8. Delaware
Federal spending per capita: $12,384
Total federal spending: $11.23 billion
Number of residents: 907,135
Delaware is one of the least populous states in the U.S., and for fiscal year 2011 it was the 43rd-highest recipient of total federal money. However, with a total federal payout of over $11 billion, it receives the eighth-highest amount of federal funding per resident.
Every one of the top 10 prime awards allocated in the state went to the Department of Homeland Security. GlaxoSmithKline topped the list of prime award contractors, and drugs and biologicals topped the list of prime award products or services sold.
7. North Dakota
Federal spending per capita: $12,704
Total federal spending: $8.69 billion
Number of residents: 683,932
North Dakota is even more sparsely populated than tiny Delaware, and accordingly it received only the 45th-highest amount of federal funding. This worked out to $12,704 per capita, putting it on the top 10 list.
As with Texas, three of the top 10 prime awards went to the Health and Human Services, and the rest went to the Department of Homeland Security. The top five prime award contractors included the Noridian Mutual Insurance Company, Tesoro, and Record Steel and Construction.
6. Mississippi
Federal spending per capita: $13,141
Total federal spending: $39.14 billion
Number of residents: 3 million
Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the U.S., but it was the 22nd-highest recipient of total federal spending. Each resident had over $13,000 spent on his or her behalf.
Of its top 10 prime awards, three went to the Defense Department, three to Homeland Security and four to Health and Human Services. The top five prime award contractors included Northrop Grumman and its shipbuilding subsidiary.
5. Virginia
Federal spending per capita: $14,463
Total federal spending: $117.10 billion
Number of residents: 8.1 million
Virginia is one of two battleground states on the list. Of the top 10 prime awards there, one went to Health and Human Services and one to the Defense Department. The rest went to Homeland Security.
The top five prime award contractors included SAIC, a scientific and engineering company with close ties to the Pentagon and the intelligence community. Other awardees included Northrop Grumman and the Hewlett-Packard.
4. Hawaii
Federal spending per capita: $15,628
Total federal spending: $21.48 billion
Number of residents: 1.4 million
In fiscal year 2011 all of the top 10 prime awards allocated to Hawaii went to Homeland Security. This federal agency received a total of $12.4 billion, more than half of the entire amount of federal dollars given to the state.
Of the major agencies receiving prime awards, the Social Security Administration came in a very distant second place to DHS. Its award of $3.2 billion was just over a quarter of what DHS received.
3. South Carolina
Federal spending per capita: $16,467
Total federal spending: $77.05 billion
Number of residents: 4.7 million
South Carolina was the 10th-highest recipient of federal funds, with a $77.05 billion payout that amounted to $16,467 per person. As with Delaware and Hawaii, all of the top 10 prime awards went to Homeland Security.
The top five prime award contractors included Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, General Dynamics and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina. The top prime award service sold was the maintenance and repair of communication equipment.
2. Louisiana
Federal spending per capita: $30,115
Total federal spending: $137.77 billion
Number of residents: 4.6 million
Louisiana was the fifth-highest recipient overall. Of the top 10 prime awards that it received, one went to the Health and Human Services and the rest to Homeland Security.
The top five prime award products or services sold included wheeled combat vehicles and combat ships. The top two went to construction services, for which approximately $1.5 billion was awarded.
1. Florida
Federal spending per capita: $30,318
Total federal spending: $577.80 billion
Number of residents: 19.1 million
The state of Florida, the second battleground state on the list, was the recipient of the most federal funds both in total and on a per capita basis. It’s similar to second-place Louisiana in that one of the 10 prime awards it received went to the Health and Human Services, and the rest to Homeland Security.
Other than the Harris Corp., a telecommunications company, the top prime awards contractors were aerospace and defense companies. These include Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman.