Kentucky vs New Mexico
Federal spending comparison
New Mexico accounts for $3.93B in USAspending.gov obligations; Kentucky accounts for $3.82B. Kentucky’s award file is in another league: 140,157 actions against New Mexico’s 19,233. Census counts are 4,588,372 and 2,130,256. Spending per capita favors New Mexico, $945.82 versus $142.10. FY2026 dollars also favor New Mexico, $2.01B versus $652.0M. Kentucky’s top industry is couriers and express delivery services; New Mexico’s is commercial and institutional building construction. The figures are obligations, not outlays.
Key figures
- New Mexico $3.93B vs Kentucky $3.82B in stacked USAspending obligations.
- New Mexico per capita $945.82 vs Kentucky $142.10 on 2,130,256 vs 4,588,372 residents.
- Awards: 140,157 vs 19,233; FY2026 $652.0M vs $2.01B.
- Top industries: couriers in Kentucky; commercial construction in New Mexico.
- Figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
Kentucky’s row machine, New Mexico’s intensity spike
New Mexico’s $3.93B is about 1.03 times Kentucky’s $3.82B. Population favors Kentucky, 4,588,372 versus 2,130,256. The stacked race is a near-tie. Award counts are not: 140,157 versus 19,233, about 7.3 times as many rows in Kentucky. Courier and express work can generate many actions. New Mexico’s 19,233 rows on $3.93B are sparse.
Spending per capita still belongs to New Mexico, $945.82 versus $142.10, packet figures beside those Census counts. A busy Kentucky file does not produce the hotter ratio. A thin New Mexico file does.
FY2026 then hands New Mexico a dollar lead the stacked near-tie conceals: $2.01B versus $652.0M. Kentucky’s 140,157 awards versus New Mexico’s 19,233 awards is a courier-shaped gap that $3.82B versus $3.93B does not follow, and $142.10 versus $945.82 follows New Mexico instead on the intensity ranking.
Couriers versus commercial construction
Kentucky’s lead NAICS is couriers and express delivery services. New Mexico’s lead NAICS is commercial and institutional building construction. Those peaks sit on $3.82B and $3.93B. The courier label helps explain Kentucky’s 140,157 awards. The construction label does not require that many rows in New Mexico.
Use the Kentucky and New Mexico state hubs for agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes, not outlay mixes.
Full analysis: Kentucky vs New Mexico on USAspending: $3.82B vs $3.93B →
Questions
- Does Kentucky or New Mexico have more federal spending?
- New Mexico leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $3.93B to Kentucky’s $3.82B. New Mexico also leads spending per capita, $945.82 versus $142.10, on 2,130,256 residents against Kentucky’s 4,588,372. Kentucky has far more awards (140,157 vs 19,233). FY2026 obligations are $652.0M in Kentucky and $2.01B in New Mexico.
- Why does Kentucky have so many more awards?
- Kentucky’s award count is 140,157 against New Mexico’s 19,233. Kentucky’s top industry is couriers and express delivery services. Stacked obligations still favor New Mexico slightly, $3.93B to $3.82B. Spending per capita is $142.10 versus $945.82. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.
- What industries lead in Kentucky and New Mexico?
- Kentucky’s top industry is couriers and express delivery services. New Mexico’s is commercial and institutional building construction. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $3.82B and $3.93B. Award counts are 140,157 in Kentucky and 19,233 in New Mexico.
- Are Kentucky vs New Mexico figures Treasury outlays?
- No. The $3.82B and $3.93B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $652.0M and $2.01B, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($142.10 vs $945.82) uses Census population where present.
State comparison from SpendingVault aggregates of USAspending obligations. Per-capita uses Census population where present.
| Kentucky | Metric | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| $87.22B | Total Spending | $19.40B |
| $19K | Per Capita | $9K |
| N/A | % of GDP | N/A |
| 4.6M | Population | 2.1M |
| 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 — Kentucky
- Department of Health and Human Services$351.71B
- Department of Defense$99.10B
- Social Security Administration$59.60B
- Department of Agriculture$9.56B
- Department of Veterans Affairs$7.59B
Top Agencies — New Mexico
- Department of Energy$185.29B
- Department of Health and Human Services$40.14B
- Social Security Administration$27.25B
- Department of Defense$9.29B
- Department of Agriculture$6.62B
Top Industries — Kentucky
- DIRECT HEALTH AND MEDICAL INSURANCE CARRIERS$77.49B
- HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL$5.19B
- ALL OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES$4.76B
- COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION$2.08B
- FACILITIES SUPPORT SERVICES$1.22B
Top Industries — New Mexico
- FACILITIES SUPPORT SERVICES$148.95B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES$35.52B
- COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION$3.50B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)$1.69B
- ENGINEERING SERVICES$1.21B
Source: USAspending.gov · More Comparisons · Kentucky · New Mexico