Iowa vs Mississippi

Similar Census counts, a $960 million stock gap

Iowa’s $3.84B stacked total is about 1.33 times Mississippi’s $2.88B. Populations sit near each other: 3,241,488 versus 2,943,045, about 1.10 times. Intensity stays bunched with the stocks: $127.17 per capita in Iowa and $115.31 in Mississippi. When headcount is similar, the dollar gap shows up as a modest per-capita gap rather than a chasm. Those ratios are packet figures of USAspending.gov obligations beside Census population, not outlays per resident.

The award column is not bunched. Mississippi’s 233,003 awards are about 4.8 times Iowa’s 48,706. A shipyard-heavy peak can fill a long action list on a smaller $2.88B stock. Iowa’s $3.84B sits on far fewer rows. Dollars and rows point opposite directions.

Keep $3.84B and $2.88B labeled as obligations. This pair is a Midwest-to-Gulf comparison on that definition only.

Wireless equipment manufacturing versus ship building

Iowa’s lead NAICS is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing. Mississippi’s lead NAICS is ship building and repairing. Hardware manufacturing is Iowa’s peak on $3.84B and 48,706 awards. Shipyard work is Mississippi’s peak on $2.88B and 233,003 awards. Those labels help explain the row inversion; they do not exhaust either mix.

The Iowa and Mississippi state hubs list agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes, not outlay mixes.

Questions

Does Iowa or Mississippi have more federal spending?

Iowa leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $3.84B to Mississippi’s $2.88B. Iowa also leads spending per capita, $127.17 versus $115.31, on 3,241,488 residents against Mississippi’s 2,943,045. Mississippi has far more awards (233,003 vs 48,706). FY2026 obligations are $412.2M in Iowa and $339.4M in Mississippi.

Why does Mississippi have so many more awards than Iowa?

Mississippi’s award count is 233,003 against Iowa’s 48,706. Mississippi’s top industry is ship building and repairing. Stacked obligations still favor Iowa, $3.84B to $2.88B. Spending per capita is $115.31 versus $127.17. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays. Cite only the packet ratios; do not treat them as cash per resident or as a forecast.

What industries lead in Iowa and Mississippi?

Iowa’s top industry is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing. Mississippi’s is ship building and repairing. Those labels sit on $3.84B and $2.88B. Award counts are 48,706 in Iowa and 233,003 in Mississippi. Those NAICS labels are the largest slices on the stacked stocks, not complete industrial profiles.

Are Iowa vs Mississippi figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $3.84B and $2.88B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $412.2M and $339.4M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($127.17 vs $115.31) uses Census population where present. Spending per capita uses Census population where present and should not be read as cash per resident.