Delaware vs South Dakota
Federal spending comparison
South Dakota’s stacked USAspending.gov obligation stock is $1.0B; Delaware’s is $478.5M. South Dakota posts that larger file on 924,669 residents against Delaware’s 1,051,917, which is why spending per capita is $79.92 versus $37.43. Award volume reverses hard: Delaware records 16,329 awards and South Dakota only 8,274. FY2026 follows the dollar ranking, $74.0M versus $39.4M. The figures are obligations, not outlays.
Key figures
- South Dakota $1.0B vs Delaware $478.5M in stacked USAspending obligations.
- Per capita $79.92 vs $37.43 on 924,669 vs 1,051,917 residents.
- Awards 16,329 in Delaware vs 8,274 in South Dakota; FY2026 $39.4M vs $74.0M.
- Top industries: armored vehicle manufacturing in Delaware; electronic computer manufacturing in South Dakota.
- Figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
Half the awards, more than double the dollars
South Dakota’s $1.0B stacked stock is more than double Delaware’s $478.5M. Census counts actually favor Delaware: 1,051,917 versus 924,669. Intensity follows the dollar ranking, not the Census ranking. $79.92 per capita in South Dakota is more than double Delaware’s $37.43. Cite those packet ratios beside the Census counts; they are not a second copy of $1.0B and $478.5M.
Award volume is the inversion. Delaware’s 16,329 awards versus South Dakota’s 8,274 is a thicker action log on the smaller dollar file. Row count is not average award size. Cite USAspending.gov. Do not invent a mean from 16,329 or 8,274.
Armored vehicles versus electronic computer manufacturing
Delaware’s lead NAICS is military armored vehicle, tank, and tank component manufacturing. South Dakota’s is electronic computer manufacturing. A tank-component peak is a defense-manufacturing first read on Delaware’s $478.5M mix. A computer-manufacturing peak is a hardware first read on South Dakota’s $1.0B mix. Vehicles and computers are not the same label.
The 16,329 Delaware awards and 8,274 South Dakota awards include many actions outside those two industries. Use the Delaware and South Dakota state hubs for agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes. Outlays are not in the packet.
Delaware’s 16,329 awards sit on $478.5M. South Dakota’s 8,274 awards sit on $1.0B. FY2026 of $39.4M versus $74.0M follows the dollar ranking. Cite USAspending.gov for both cuts.
Full analysis: Delaware vs South Dakota on USAspending: $478.5M vs $1.0B →
Questions
- Does Delaware or South Dakota have more federal spending?
- South Dakota leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $1.0B to Delaware’s $478.5M, spending per capita $79.92 to $37.43, and FY2026 obligations $74.0M to $39.4M. Delaware leads award volume 16,329 to 8,274. Population is 1,051,917 in Delaware and 924,669 in South Dakota.
- What industries lead in Delaware and South Dakota?
- Delaware’s top industry is military armored vehicle, tank, and tank component manufacturing. South Dakota’s is electronic computer manufacturing. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $478.5M and $1.0B. Award counts are 16,329 in Delaware and 8,274 in South Dakota.
- Does Delaware’s larger population produce a higher per-capita figure?
- No. The packet reports $37.43 per capita in Delaware on 1,051,917 residents and $79.92 in South Dakota on 924,669. Stacked stocks are $478.5M versus $1.0B. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays. The larger Census count sits with the cooler ratio.
- Are Delaware vs South Dakota figures Treasury outlays?
- No. The $478.5M and $1.0B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $39.4M and $74.0M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($37.43 vs $79.92) uses Census population where present. This packet does not publish outlays or average award size.
State comparison from SpendingVault aggregates of USAspending obligations. Per-capita uses Census population where present.
| Delaware | Metric | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| $6.21B | Total Spending | $5.43B |
| $6K | Per Capita | $6K |
| N/A | % of GDP | N/A |
| 1.1M | Population | 925K |
| N/A | Median Income | N/A |
| N/A | Poverty Rate | N/A |
| N/A | Bachelor Degree % | N/A |
| N/A | Median Age | N/A |
| N/A | Unemployment | N/A |
| N/A | GDP (Millions) | N/A |
Top Agencies — Delaware
- Department of Health and Human Services$16.59B
- Social Security Administration$16.29B
- Department of Veterans Affairs$1.77B
- Department of Agriculture$1.68B
- Department of Transportation$1.51B
Top Agencies — South Dakota
- Social Security Administration$11.65B
- Department of Health and Human Services$9.00B
- Department of Agriculture$3.30B
- Department of the Treasury$2.72B
- Department of Defense$2.57B
Top Industries — Delaware
- COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION$258.5M
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)$107.2M
- OTHER TECHNICAL AND TRADE SCHOOLS$72.6M
- HIGHWAY, STREET, AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION$66.1M
- OTHER HEAVY AND CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION$66.0M
Top Industries — South Dakota
- COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION$1.76B
- OTHER HEAVY AND CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION$334.5M
- COMPUTER FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SERVICES$219.2M
- HIGHWAY, STREET, AND BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION$170.1M
- ELECTRONIC COMPUTER MANUFACTURING$166.5M
Source: USAspending.gov · More Comparisons · Delaware · South Dakota