Idaho vs West Virginia
Federal spending comparison
West Virginia holds $1.7B in stacked USAspending.gov obligations; Idaho holds $1.2B. West Virginia also leads spending per capita, $113.44 versus Idaho’s $80.33, even though Idaho has more people—2,001,619 against 1,769,979. Idaho’s thicker award file, 29,667 actions versus 14,302, does not produce the larger stock. FY2026 obligations are $160.8M in Idaho and $200.8M in West Virginia. The series is obligations, not outlays.
Key figures
- West Virginia $1.7B vs Idaho $1.2B in stacked USAspending obligations.
- West Virginia per capita $113.44 vs Idaho $80.33 on 1,769,979 vs 2,001,619 residents.
- Awards: 29,667 vs 14,302; FY2026 $160.8M vs $200.8M.
- Top industries: commercial and institutional building construction in Idaho; ammunition (except small arms) in West Virginia.
- Figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
More Idaho residents, a smaller Idaho stock
Idaho’s 2,001,619 residents outnumber West Virginia’s 1,769,979, and Idaho files more than twice as many awards (29,667 vs 14,302). Neither cut wins the stacked ranking. West Virginia’s $1.7B still exceeds Idaho’s $1.2B. Intensity follows the larger stock: $113.44 per capita in West Virginia versus $80.33 in Idaho.
That pattern—fewer people, fewer rows, more dollars—is the West Virginia side of the pair. Idaho’s file is busier in actions and cooler in ratio. Cite USAspending.gov. Row count is not average award size; the packet does not report means from 29,667 or 14,302.
Building construction versus ammunition manufacturing
Idaho’s lead NAICS is commercial and institutional building construction. West Virginia’s is ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing. A construction peak on $1.2B and an ammunition peak on $1.7B are different obligation mixes. Building construction is a first read on Idaho. Ammunition manufacturing is a first read on West Virginia.
The 29,667 Idaho awards and 14,302 West Virginia awards include many actions outside those labels. Agency and recipient detail lives on the Idaho and West Virginia state hubs. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes. Outlays are not listed.
Idaho’s commercial and institutional building construction peak sits on 29,667 awards and $80.33 per capita. West Virginia’s ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing peak sits on 14,302 awards and $113.44 per capita. The construction file is busier; the ammunition file is heavier in stacked dollars ($1.7B vs $1.2B). Cite USAspending.gov. Those NAICS labels are first reads, not the entire mix.
Full analysis: Idaho vs West Virginia on USAspending: $1.2B vs $1.7B →
Questions
- Does Idaho or West Virginia have more federal spending?
- West Virginia leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $1.7B to Idaho’s $1.2B. West Virginia also leads spending per capita, $113.44 versus $80.33, on 1,769,979 residents against Idaho’s 2,001,619. Idaho has more awards (29,667 vs 14,302). FY2026 obligations are $160.8M in Idaho and $200.8M in West Virginia.
- Why does Idaho have more awards but a smaller stock?
- The packet reports 29,667 awards in Idaho and 14,302 in West Virginia. Stacked stocks are $1.2B versus $1.7B. Award count is a row total, not average size. Population is 2,001,619 versus 1,769,979. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays. Idaho’s $80.33 per capita versus West Virginia’s $113.44 is the intensity cut that follows the larger stock.
- What industries lead in Idaho and West Virginia?
- Idaho’s top industry is commercial and institutional building construction. West Virginia’s is ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $1.2B and $1.7B. Award counts are 29,667 in Idaho and 14,302 in West Virginia. The rest of each mix sits outside those peaks.
- Are Idaho vs West Virginia figures Treasury outlays?
- No. The $1.2B and $1.7B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $160.8M and $200.8M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($80.33 vs $113.44) 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.
| Idaho | Metric | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| $9.56B | Total Spending | $13.00B |
| $5K | Per Capita | $7K |
| N/A | % of GDP | N/A |
| 2.0M | Population | 1.8M |
| 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 — Idaho
- Department of Energy$25.70B
- Social Security Administration$24.20B
- Department of Health and Human Services$18.23B
- Department of Agriculture$4.90B
- Department of Veterans Affairs$3.62B
Top Agencies — West Virginia
- Social Security Administration$27.50B
- Department of Health and Human Services$27.44B
- Department of Veterans Affairs$4.99B
- Department of Transportation$4.14B
- Department of Agriculture$3.60B
Top Industries — Idaho
- ALL OTHER PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND TECHNICAL SERVICES$24.36B
- REMEDIATION SERVICES$1.13B
- NONSCHEDULED CHARTERED FREIGHT AIR TRANSPORTATION$824.9M
- ALL OTHER MISCELLANEOUS CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND PREPARATION MANUFACTURING$554.3M
- COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION$436.7M
Top Industries — West Virginia
- ENGINEERING SERVICES$1.16B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)$1.12B
- COMPUTER SYSTEMS DESIGN SERVICES$1.00B
- COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION$649.9M
- FACILITIES SUPPORT SERVICES$626.7M
Source: USAspending.gov · More Comparisons · Idaho · West Virginia