California vs New York

New York’s extra awards on one-third the dollars

California logs 639,340 awards on $39.5B. New York logs 705,506 awards on $11.9B. Row volume and dollar stock are different rankings in this pair. A busier file is not automatically the heavier file, and a heavier file is not automatically the busier one. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance, not Treasury outlays. Cash payments can lag award dates. Headquarters can differ from the state coded on the award.

Readers who sort only by award count will miss $39.5B versus $11.9B. Readers who sort only by dollars will miss 639,340 versus 705,506. Hold both. Typical booking size moves with that split: fewer rows on more dollars means a heavier average action, not a moral grade. New York’s 705,506 awards on $11.9B is a busy, thin-dollar coastal file next to California’s $39.5B.

$70.36 per person vs $135.64

Census counts are 39,431,263 in California and 19,867,248 in New York. Spending per capita is $135.64 versus $70.36. That ratio uses stacked obligations, not FY2026 alone and not GDP. A higher per-person reading means a thicker federal-award intensity on the Census denominator, nothing else.

Other communications equipment manufacturing as New York’s peak does not by itself produce $70.36 per capita. That ratio is $11.9B across 19,867,248 residents. California’s $39.5B across 39,431,263 residents produces $135.64. Population can lead while dollars trail, or the reverse. The table reports both. It does not convert either into outlays.

Questions

Which has more federal spending, California or New York?

California shows $39.5B in USAspending.gov obligations; New York shows $11.9B. Award counts are 639,340 and 705,506. Populations are 39,431,263 and 19,867,248. Spending per capita is $135.64 versus $70.36. FY2026 obligations are $5.3B and $1.4B. These are obligations, not Treasury outlays.

What industries lead California and New York federal awards?

California’s top industry is commercial and institutional building construction. New York’s top industry is other communications equipment manufacturing. Those slices sit on $39.5B and $11.9B in USAspending.gov obligations and on 639,340 versus 705,506 awards. They mark the largest grouping in each file, not every award.

How do California and New York compare on spending per capita?

Spending per capita is $135.64 in California on 39,431,263 residents and $70.36 in New York on 19,867,248 residents. Those ratios use stacked USAspending.gov obligations of $39.5B and $11.9B, not FY2026 alone and not GDP. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.

Are California vs New York figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $39.5B and $11.9B stacked totals, and FY2026 amounts of $5.3B and $1.4B, are USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Award counts are 639,340 and 705,506. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.