Original Research
Federal Dollars Per Capita: Where Federal Money Goes Furthest
Federal award spending per resident by state for FY2025 — the smaller-population states that punch far above their weight.
Ranking states by total federal award dollars hides a different story: on a per-resident basis, the biggest absolute recipients are rarely on top. Here is where federal money went furthest per person in FY2025.
Most federal dollars per resident
- North Dakota — $126K per resident
- District Of Columbia — $71K per resident
- Connecticut — $43K per resident
- Minnesota — $42K per resident
- Kentucky — $38K per resident
Why it matters
Smaller-population states with large federal installations, research labs, or land-management footprints can receive far more per resident than populous states. North Dakota leads at $126K per resident.
Methodology
Federal award obligations by place of performance for FY2025 (USASpending.gov), divided by Census population. Limited to states and territories with population over 250,000 to avoid small-territory distortion. Top 15 of 52 shown.