Maine vs West Virginia

More Maine awards, a cooler Maine ratio

Maine’s 26,048 awards versus West Virginia’s 14,302 is the volume inversion. The busier action log sits on the smaller stock ($776.4M vs $1.7B) and the cooler ratio ($35.09 vs $113.44). A thicker log is not a larger obligation file. Cite USAspending.gov. Row count is not average award size; the packet does not report means from 26,048 or 14,302.

Population is close enough to make the intensity gap striking. Maine’s 1,405,012 residents versus West Virginia’s 1,769,979 is not a three-to-one Census split. The $35.09 versus $113.44 readings therefore are not a simple small-state-versus-large-state story. West Virginia’s heavier stock on fewer awards is the concentrated side.

FY2026 follows the heavier stock: $200.8M in West Virginia versus $49.3M in Maine. Recency does not rescue Maine’s cooler ratio. Treat FY2026 as an obligation slice, not Treasury cash. Keep $35.09 and $113.44 labeled as Census-based packet figures on USAspending.gov obligations.

Building equipment contractors versus ammunition manufacturing

Maine’s lead NAICS is other building equipment contractors. West Virginia’s is ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing. A contractor peak on $776.4M and an ammunition peak on $1.7B are different mixes. Contractors are a first read on Maine. Ammunition manufacturing is a first read on West Virginia.

Maine’s 26,048 awards include many actions outside the contractor label, just as West Virginia’s 14,302 awards extend beyond ammunition. Use the Maine and West Virginia state hubs for agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes. Outlays are not listed.

Questions

Does Maine or West Virginia have more federal spending?

West Virginia leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $1.7B to Maine’s $776.4M. West Virginia also leads spending per capita ($113.44 vs $35.09) and FY2026 obligations ($200.8M vs $49.3M). Maine has more awards (26,048 vs 14,302). Population is 1,405,012 in Maine and 1,769,979 in West Virginia.

Why does Maine have more awards on a smaller stock?

The packet reports 26,048 awards in Maine and 14,302 in West Virginia. Stacked stocks are $776.4M versus $1.7B. Award count is a row total, not average size. Per capita is $35.09 versus $113.44. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.

What industries lead in Maine and West Virginia?

Maine’s top industry is other building equipment contractors. West Virginia’s is ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $776.4M and $1.7B. Award counts are 26,048 in Maine and 14,302 in West Virginia. The rest of each mix sits outside those peaks.

Are Maine vs West Virginia figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $776.4M and $1.7B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $49.3M and $200.8M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag behind commitments. Spending per capita ($35.09 vs $113.44) uses Census population where present. This packet does not publish outlays.