Maryland vs Massachusetts
Federal spending comparison
Maryland accounts for $30.1B in USAspending.gov obligations; Massachusetts accounts for $13.5B. Massachusetts still leads spending per capita, $364.70 on 7,136,171 residents versus $315.60 on 6,263,220. Award counts are 229,316 in Maryland and 294,824 in Massachusetts — more actions in the smaller dollar file. Maryland’s top industry is other computer related services; Massachusetts’s is aircraft engine and engine parts manufacturing. FY2026 obligations are $2.0B and $2.6B, a recency lead for Massachusetts. Maryland’s 229,316 awards versus Massachusetts’s 294,824 awards are the row ranking that agrees with intensity, not with $30.1B versus $13.5B.
Key figures
- Maryland $30.1B vs Massachusetts $13.5B in USAspending obligations.
- Per capita $315.60 vs $364.70 on 6,263,220 vs 7,136,171 residents.
- Awards: 229,316 vs 294,824; FY2026 $2.0B vs $2.6B.
- Top industries: other computer related services (MD) vs aircraft engine and engine parts manufacturing (MA).
- Figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
Massachusetts’s $364.70 vs Maryland’s $315.60
Spending per capita is $315.60 in Maryland and $364.70 in Massachusetts. That intensity ranking does not have to match the stacked dollar ranking of $30.1B versus $13.5B. When people (6,263,220 vs 7,136,171) diverge faster or slower than obligations, per capita flips. 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.
Massachusetts wins intensity, rows, and FY2026; Maryland wins the $30.1B stacked stock. Intensity is stacked obligations divided by Census counts. It is not FY2026 alone. It is not GDP. It is not a household check.
Computer services vs aircraft engines
Award counts are 229,316 in Maryland and 294,824 in Massachusetts. Rows can follow dollars, follow people, or follow neither. A flip pair often shows that third path. Other computer related services on Maryland’s heavier stock versus aircraft engine and engine parts manufacturing on Massachusetts’s hotter intensity is mix on a flip pair. FY2026’s $2.6B versus $2.0B agrees with intensity, not with stacked dollars.
Maryland’s top industry is other computer related services. Massachusetts’s top industry is aircraft engine and engine parts manufacturing. Mix can help explain a heavier typical action, but it does not compute $315.60 or $364.70. Those ratios are arithmetic on $30.1B, $13.5B, 6,263,220, and 7,136,171.
Full analysis: Maryland vs Massachusetts on USAspending: $30.1B vs $13.5B →
Questions
- Which has more federal spending, Maryland or Massachusetts?
- Maryland shows $30.1B in USAspending.gov obligations; Massachusetts shows $13.5B. Award counts are 229,316 and 294,824. Populations are 6,263,220 and 7,136,171. Spending per capita is $315.60 versus $364.70. FY2026 obligations are $2.0B and $2.6B. These are obligations, not Treasury outlays. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
- What industries lead Maryland and Massachusetts federal awards?
- Maryland’s top industry is other computer related services. Massachusetts’s top industry is aircraft engine and engine parts manufacturing. Those slices sit on $30.1B and $13.5B in USAspending.gov obligations and on 229,316 versus 294,824 awards. They mark the largest grouping in each file, not every award.
- How do Maryland and Massachusetts compare on spending per capita?
- Spending per capita is $315.60 in Maryland on 6,263,220 residents and $364.70 in Massachusetts on 7,136,171 residents. Those ratios use stacked USAspending.gov obligations of $30.1B and $13.5B, not FY2026 alone and not GDP. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
- Are Maryland vs Massachusetts figures Treasury outlays?
- No. The $30.1B and $13.5B stacked totals, and FY2026 amounts of $2.0B and $2.6B, are USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Award counts are 229,316 and 294,824. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
State comparison from SpendingVault aggregates of USAspending obligations. Per-capita uses Census population where present.
| Maryland | Metric | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| $32.61B | Total Spending | $43.05B |
| $5K | Per Capita | $6K |
| N/A | % of GDP | N/A |
| 6.3M | Population | 7.1M |
| 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 — Maryland
- Department of Health and Human Services$143.01B
- Department of Defense$137.15B
- Social Security Administration$75.40B
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration$24.26B
- Department of Veterans Affairs$20.55B
Top Agencies — Massachusetts
- Department of Health and Human Services$138.54B
- Department of Defense$112.05B
- Social Security Administration$86.41B
- General Services Administration$13.54B
- Department of Agriculture$11.34B
Top Industries — Maryland
- ENGINEERING SERVICES$35.96B
- COMPUTER SYSTEMS DESIGN SERVICES$35.19B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)$24.11B
- OTHER COMPUTER RELATED SERVICES$20.25B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT BIOTECHNOLOGY)$13.06B
Top Industries — Massachusetts
- SEARCH, DETECTION, NAVIGATION, GUIDANCE, AERONAUTICAL, AND NAUTICAL SYSTEM AND INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURING$30.64B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT BIOTECHNOLOGY)$17.15B
- ENGINEERING SERVICES$16.64B
- AIRCRAFT ENGINE AND ENGINE PARTS MANUFACTURING$7.61B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)$4.93B
Source: USAspending.gov · More Comparisons · Maryland · Massachusetts