Arkansas vs Nebraska

Stacked ranking versus a FY2026 reversal

Readers who stop at the all-years totals will call Arkansas the larger file: $1.7B versus $1.2B. Fiscal year 2026 does not agree. Nebraska’s $352.3M latest-year obligations exceed Arkansas’s $262.7M. That recency cut is still an obligation slice from USAspending.gov, not cash paid by Treasury. It does mean the stacked ranking and the current-year ranking tell different stories.

Population sits in the middle. Arkansas’s 3,088,354 residents outnumber Nebraska’s 2,005,465, which helps explain the larger Arkansas stock. Intensity does not follow headcount. Nebraska’s $175.68 per capita is more than double Arkansas’s $85.06. Cite USAspending.gov for the stocks, the FY2026 amounts, and the Census-based ratios.

Poultry processing versus other computer related services

Arkansas’s lead industry is poultry processing. Nebraska’s is other computer related services. A food-processing peak on $1.7B and a computer-services peak on $1.2B are different mixes, not interchangeable labels with the state names swapped. Poultry processing is a first read on Arkansas’s obligation file. Other computer related services are a first read on Nebraska’s.

Arkansas’s 79,590 awards and Nebraska’s 36,000 awards include many actions outside those NAICS peaks. Use the Arkansas and Nebraska state hubs for agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes. Outlays are not in the packet.

Arkansas’s poultry-processing peak on $1.7B is a different first read from Nebraska’s other computer related services peak on $1.2B. The FY2026 reversal ($352.3M in Nebraska vs $262.7M in Arkansas) sits on that services mix, not on Arkansas’s thicker 79,590-award log. Population of 3,088,354 versus 2,005,465 still favors Arkansas on headcount. Intensity of $175.68 versus $85.06 favors Nebraska. Cite USAspending.gov for every dollar cut.

Questions

Does Arkansas or Nebraska have more federal spending?

Arkansas leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $1.7B to Nebraska’s $1.2B. Nebraska leads FY2026 obligations, $352.3M versus $262.7M, and spending per capita, $175.68 versus $85.06. Arkansas has more people (3,088,354 vs 2,005,465) and more awards (79,590 vs 36,000). Both dollar series are obligations, not outlays.

Why does Nebraska lead FY2026 if Arkansas has the larger stock?

Stacked stocks mix years; FY2026 is a recency slice. Nebraska’s latest-year obligations are $352.3M against Arkansas’s $262.7M. The all-years totals remain $1.2B versus $1.7B. Both cuts are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays. Recency does not erase the stacked ranking or convert either amount into Treasury cash.

What industries lead in Arkansas and Nebraska?

Arkansas’s top industry is poultry processing. Nebraska’s is other computer related services. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $1.7B and $1.2B. Award counts are 79,590 in Arkansas and 36,000 in Nebraska. The rest of each mix sits outside those peaks.

Are Arkansas vs Nebraska figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $1.7B and $1.2B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $262.7M and $352.3M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag behind commitments. Spending per capita ($85.06 vs $175.68) uses Census population where present. This packet does not publish outlays.