North Carolina vs Ohio

Two large states, one much busier file

These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays. Ohio’s $8.1B stock sits $1.8 billion above North Carolina’s $6.3B. Place of performance in the award file is the scoring rule. Populations of 11,883,304 and 11,046,024 put both states in the same size band. The comparison is not a giant-versus-small contest on people.

Award counts break the resemblance. North Carolina’s 429,746 actions exceed Ohio’s 168,038 by more than 2.5 times. North Carolina’s $6.3B is spread across more records. Ohio’s $8.1B sits on a thinner file, which implies a heavier typical booking. Dollars favor Ohio; paperwork volume favors North Carolina.

North Carolina’s 11,046,024 residents and Ohio’s 11,883,304 residents look like peers. Award rows of 429,746 versus 168,038 do not. Stacked dollars of $6,340,179,185 versus $8,141,450,027 still favor Ohio. Per capita of $66.77 versus $61.66 is close. FY2026 of $737,511,771 versus $732,683,316 is a photo finish that should not be read as a stacked tie. Pharmaceuticals versus aircraft engines is mix.

Close intensity: $66.77 versus $61.66

North Carolina’s 11,046,024 residents against $6.3B produce $66.77 per capita. Ohio’s 11,883,304 residents against $8.1B produce $61.66. Intensity favors North Carolina by about $5 per person even though Ohio holds the larger stacked total. This pair is not a high-versus-low intensity contest.

A $66.77 per-person reading is an intensity fact attached to $6.3B. Ohio’s $61.66 is attached to $8.1B. This table scores USAspending place of performance, not GDP. Similar people and similar intensity can still hide a 2.5-to-1 row gap and a $1.8 billion stacked gap.

Questions

Which state has more federal spending, North Carolina or Ohio?

Ohio leads in stacked USAspending.gov obligations: $8,141,450,027 versus North Carolina’s $6,340,179,185. North Carolina has more awards (429,746 vs 168,038). Populations are close (11,046,024 vs 11,883,304). Spending per capita is $66.77 in North Carolina and $61.66 in Ohio. FY2026 obligations are $737.5M and $732.7M. These are obligations, not Treasury outlays.

Is North Carolina vs Ohio tied in FY2026?

Almost. FY2026 obligations are $737,511,771 in North Carolina and $732,683,316 in Ohio. North Carolina is slightly ahead in the latest year. The stacked ranking still favors Ohio ($8.1B vs $6.3B). Award counts are 429,746 versus 168,038. Per capita is $66.77 versus $61.66.

What industries lead North Carolina and Ohio federal awards?

North Carolina’s top industry is pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing. Ohio’s is aircraft engine and engine parts manufacturing. Those slices sit on $6.3B and $8.1B obligation stocks. They mark the largest grouping in each file, not every award in either state. Award counts are 429,746 in North Carolina and 168,038 in Ohio.

Are North Carolina vs Ohio figures Treasury outlays?

No. SpendingVault uses USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. The $6.3B and $8.1B stacked totals and FY2026 amounts of $737.5M and $732.7M measure award commitments by place of performance, not Monthly Treasury Statement payments.