Who Gets the Money? Federal Spending by County in 2025-26

In its latest monthly review, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the 2026 federal deficit will reach $2.1 trillion, with revenue estimated at $5.4 trillion. So who gets the money? Some areas receive significantly more federal funds per resident than others, reflecting where major projects and facilities are located. The result is a patchwork in which parts of the United States are deeply tied to federal spending while others are less exposed to shifting national priorities.

SmartAsset analyzed 18 months worth of U.S. Government spending data, from Jan. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, across 3,132 U.S. counties — more than 99% of counties in the U.S. — to identify where federal dollars are flowing. County-level values reflect federal funds committed to activity performed in each county, including government contracts, procurement, grants, benefits and assistance payments. These figures represent federal spending occurring within each county, not money paid directly to county governments, and exclude federal payroll and employee compensation.

Key Findings

Brewster County, Texas receives the most federal funding per capita. The Far West Texas county averaged about $700,000 per resident during the period examined, the highest rate in the United States. Much of that total can be tied to investments in border security and related infrastructure.
This Upper Midwest county leads the nation for total funding. More than $286 billion in federal funding was committed to activity in Hennepin County, Minnesota during the 18-month period examined. That represents about 4.7% of the roughly $6 trillion tracked in the study.
Brooklyn gets the least per capita funding among major population centers. Among counties with populations of at least 1 million, Kings County, New York, which is coextensive with Brooklyn, had $5,842 in federal funding per resident, the lowest among places of that size.
Two Texas counties receive the least federal funding by different measures. Dimmit County had the lowest amount per resident. Its 8,024 residents corresponded to $780 in federal funding per person during the period examined. Loving County, the least populous county in the United States, had just $1.3 million in total federal funding, the lowest total among all counties and county equivalents analyzed.

State Superlatives

Alabama

Most total federal spending: Madison ($22,768,465,362)
Most federal spending per capita: Madison ($52,520)
Least federal spending per capita: Dekalb ($7,583)

Alaska

Most total federal spending: Anchorage Municipality ($6,302,965,844)
Most federal spending per capita: Southeast Fairbanks ($95,242)
Least federal spending per capita: Matanuska-Susitna ($10,532)

Arizona

Most total federal spending: Maricopa ($84,094,879,022)
Most federal spending per capita: Santa Cruz ($73,520)
Least federal spending per capita: Greenlee ($6,037)

Arkansas

Most total federal spending: Pulaski ($6,637,582,321)
Most federal spending per capita: Calhoun ($99,387)
Least federal spending per capita: Benton ($7,124)

California

Most total federal spending: Los Angeles ($118,850,089,134)
Most federal spending per capita: Alpine ($47,453)
Least federal spending per capita: Tulare ($7,331)

Colorado

Most total federal spending: El Paso ($14,119,937,930)
Most federal spending per capita: San Juan ($38,658)
Least federal spending per capita: Crowley ($6,475)

Delaware

Most total federal spending: New Castle ($6,312,061,593)
Most federal spending per capita: Sussex ($15,547)
Least federal spending per capita: New Castle ($10,734)

Florida

Most total federal spending: Hills ($77,577,801,674)
Most federal spending per capita: Duval ($57,299)
Least federal spending per capita: Union ($6,749)

Georgia

Most total federal spending: Fulton ($16,268,162,220)
Most federal spending per capita: Chattahoochee ($71,299)
Least federal spending per capita: Forsyth ($5,867)

Hawaii

Most total federal spending: Honolulu ($18,619,941,943)
Most federal spending per capita: Kalawao ($75,981)
Least federal spending per capita: Hawaii ($11,487)

Idaho

Most total federal spending: Ada ($7,958,567,454)
Most federal spending per capita: Bonneville ($38,049)
Least federal spending per capita: Madison ($5,513)

Illinois

Most total federal spending: Cook ($58,745,347,894)
Most federal spending per capita: Rock Island ($36,573)
Least federal spending per capita: Kendall ($6,564)

Indiana

Most total federal spending: Marion ($217,807,424,956)
Most federal spending per capita: Marion ($219,521)
Least federal spending per capita: Lagrange ($6,308)

Iowa

Most total federal spending: Polk ($5,866,226,966)
Most federal spending per capita: Des Moines ($39,650)
Least federal spending per capita: Dallas ($6,747)

Kansas

Most total federal spending: Johnson ($6,336,605,825)
Most federal spending per capita: Wallace ($41,738)
Least federal spending per capita: Ford ($6,790)

Kentucky

Most total federal spending: Jefferson ($196,908,955,240)
Most federal spending per capita: Jefferson ($247,615)
Least federal spending per capita: Warren ($7,518)

Louisiana

Most total federal spending: Jefferson ($9,553,864,252)
Most federal spending per capita: Lafourche ($26,593)
Least federal spending per capita: West Feliciana ($6,778)

Maine

Most total federal spending: Cumberland ($5,918,489,215)
Most federal spending per capita: Sagadahoc ($120,760)
Least federal spending per capita: Androscoggin ($10,426)

Maryland

Most total federal spending: Montgomery ($25,664,346,410)
Most federal spending per capita: St. Mary’s ($59,510)
Least federal spending per capita: Wicomico ($9,751)

Massachusetts

Most total federal spending: Middlesex ($39,696,848,258)
Most federal spending per capita: Middlesex ($23,771)
Least federal spending per capita: Nantucket ($6,168)

Michigan

Most total federal spending: Wayne ($34,846,214,453)
Most federal spending per capita: Ingham ($26,250)
Least federal spending per capita: Ottawa ($9,203)

Minnesota

Most total federal spending: Hennepin ($286,124,065,413)
Most federal spending per capita: Hennepin ($222,702)
Least federal spending per capita: Scott ($7,266)

Mississippi

Most total federal spending: Jackson ($10,237,171,280)
Most federal spending per capita: Jackson ($69,327)
Least federal spending per capita: Lamar ($7,227)

Missouri

Most total federal spending: St. Louis City ($32,238,944,963)
Most federal spending per capita: St. Louis City ($115,907)
Least federal spending per capita: Mcdonald ($8,099)

Montana

Most total federal spending: Yellowstone ($1,843,102,733)
Most federal spending per capita: Mccone ($56,334)
Least federal spending per capita: Broadwater ($9,824)

Nebraska

Most total federal spending: Douglas ($15,643,288,408)
Most federal spending per capita: Thurston ($44,833)
Least federal spending per capita: Colfax ($8,610)

Nevada

Most total federal spending: Clark ($24,241,541,740)
Most federal spending per capita: Mineral ($38,090)
Least federal spending per capita: Pershing ($8,565)

New Hampshire

Most total federal spending: Hills ($6,453,187,185)
Most federal spending per capita: Merrimack ($19,082)
Least federal spending per capita: Strafford ($10,641)

New Jersey

Most total federal spending: Bergen ($11,803,123,266)
Most federal spending per capita: Cape May ($20,323)
Least federal spending per capita: Union ($7,119)

New Mexico

Most total federal spending: Bernalillo ($18,789,119,114)
Most federal spending per capita: Los Alamos ($487,745)
Least federal spending per capita: Luna ($3,270)

New York

Most total federal spending: New York ($47,694,675,425)
Most federal spending per capita: Albany ($59,651)
Least federal spending per capita: Kings ($5,842)

North Carolina

Most total federal spending: Wake ($16,103,173,559)
Most federal spending per capita: Tyrrell ($58,424)
Least federal spending per capita: Mecklenburg ($6,930)

North Dakota

Most total federal spending: Cass ($138,498,804,067)
Most federal spending per capita: Cass ($686,338)
Least federal spending per capita: Williams ($6,920)

Ohio

Most total federal spending: Franklin ($16,062,120,234)
Most federal spending per capita: Pike ($40,491)
Least federal spending per capita: Holmes ($4,491)

Oklahoma

Most total federal spending: Oklahoma ($15,299,999,628)
Most federal spending per capita: Cimarron ($25,067)
Least federal spending per capita: Texas ($7,978)

Oregon

Most total federal spending: Multnomah ($12,789,180,507)
Most federal spending per capita: Grant ($24,143)
Least federal spending per capita: Washington ($7,752)

Pennsylvania

Most total federal spending: Cumberland ($162,254,223,217)
Most federal spending per capita: Cumberland ($585,185)
Least federal spending per capita: Union ($9,373)

Rhode Island

Most total federal spending: Providence ($9,564,964,903)
Most federal spending per capita: Newport ($25,727)
Least federal spending per capita: Bristol ($12,056)

South Carolina

Most total federal spending: Richland ($122,233,456,945)
Most federal spending per capita: Richland ($281,025)
Least federal spending per capita: Spartanburg ($9,091)

South Dakota

Most total federal spending: Minnehaha ($2,519,332,062)
Most federal spending per capita: Sully ($43,591)
Least federal spending per capita: Lincoln ($8,333)

Tennessee

Most total federal spending: Davidson ($73,727,803,813)
Most federal spending per capita: Anderson ($149,302)
Least federal spending per capita: Trousdale ($6,809)

Texas

Most total federal spending: Dallas ($61,871,030,385)
Most federal spending per capita: Brewster ($700,181)
Least federal spending per capita: Dimmit ($780)

Utah

Most total federal spending: Salt Lake ($13,905,957,449)
Most federal spending per capita: Grand ($25,201)
Least federal spending per capita: Utah ($4,703)

Vermont

Most total federal spending: Chittenden ($2,795,447,528)
Most federal spending per capita: Washington ($23,146)
Least federal spending per capita: Franklin ($9,930)

Virginia

Most total federal spending: Fairfax ($68,675,242,702)
Most federal spending per capita: Spotsylvania ($259,631)
Least federal spending per capita: Manassas Park City ($3,642)

Washington

Most total federal spending: King ($31,539,657,644)
Most federal spending per capita: Benton ($37,860)
Least federal spending per capita: Franklin ($6,234)

West Virginia

Most total federal spending: Kanawha ($3,205,228,722)
Most federal spending per capita: Mineral ($27,377)
Least federal spending per capita: Tucker ($8,833)

Wisconsin

Most total federal spending: Dane ($82,680,149,111)
Most federal spending per capita: Dane ($140,047)
Least federal spending per capita: Calumet ($8,260)

Wyoming

Most total federal spending: Laramie ($1,811,819,823)
Most federal spending per capita: Park ($25,067)
Least federal spending per capita: Campbell ($8,573)

Methodology

Federal award data was analyzed for the period from Jan. 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 for 3,132 counties and county-level equivalents; some were excluded due to incomplete or inconsistent data. For each county, prime-award obligations were aggregated based on place of performance, reflecting where the funded activity occurred rather than the recipient’s headquarters. Contracts, grants, direct payments and other financial assistance were included, while loans and contract indefinite delivery vehicles were excluded. Obligation totals include de-obligations, which reduce previously committed federal funds and therefore reflect net federal award obligations over the period. County totals were divided by July 1, 2025 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program to calculate federal award obligations per capita. Per capita values do not indicate individual payments. Federal payroll and employee compensation are not included in the award data. Release of information related to some U.S. Department of Defense obligations may be delayed and not included in the award data for the full 18 month period. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.