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Nebraska vs West Virginia

Federal spending comparison

West Virginia’s stacked USAspending.gov obligation stock is $1.7B; Nebraska’s is $1.2B. Nebraska still leads two other cuts: spending per capita at $175.68 versus $113.44, and FY2026 obligations at $352.3M versus $200.8M. Census population is 2,005,465 in Nebraska and 1,769,979 in West Virginia—close enough that the stock gap is not a simple headcount story. Nebraska also files more awards, 36,000 against 14,302. The figures are obligations, not outlays.

Key figures

  • West Virginia $1.7B vs Nebraska $1.2B in stacked USAspending obligations.
  • Nebraska per capita $175.68 vs West Virginia $113.44; FY2026 $352.3M vs $200.8M.
  • Awards: 36,000 vs 14,302 on 2,005,465 vs 1,769,979 residents.
  • Top industries: other computer related services in Nebraska; ammunition (except small arms) in West Virginia.
  • Figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.

West Virginia’s larger stock, Nebraska’s hotter ratio

West Virginia’s $1.7B stacked total exceeds Nebraska’s $1.2B even though Nebraska has more people (2,005,465 vs 1,769,979). That combination is unusual in this slice: the smaller Census count holds the larger obligation stock, and the larger Census count still posts the hotter per-capita ratio. Nebraska’s $175.68 versus West Virginia’s $113.44 is the intensity lead on the smaller stock.

Award volume follows Nebraska, 36,000 versus 14,302. West Virginia’s $1.7B therefore sits on a thinner action log. That pattern is consistent with a file that can concentrate dollars—West Virginia’s lead NAICS is ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing—without matching Nebraska’s row count. Cite USAspending.gov. Do not invent average award size from 36,000 or 14,302.

Computer related services versus ammunition manufacturing

Nebraska’s lead industry is other computer related services. West Virginia’s is ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing. A services peak on $1.2B and an ammunition-manufacturing peak on $1.7B are different mixes. Computer related services are a first read on Nebraska. Ammunition manufacturing is a first read on West Virginia.

The 36,000 Nebraska awards and 14,302 West Virginia awards include many actions outside those labels. Use the Nebraska and West Virginia state hubs for agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes. Outlays are not in the packet.

Nebraska’s other computer related services peak is a services-first read on $1.2B, 36,000 awards, and $175.68 per capita. West Virginia’s ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing peak is a manufacturing-first read on $1.7B, 14,302 awards, and $113.44 per capita. FY2026 of $352.3M versus $200.8M follows the services-side recency lead. Cite USAspending.gov. Mix labels are not interchangeable with the stacked ranking.

Full analysis: Nebraska vs West Virginia on USAspending: $1.2B vs $1.7B

Questions

Does Nebraska or West Virginia have more federal spending?
West Virginia leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $1.7B to Nebraska’s $1.2B. Nebraska leads spending per capita ($175.68 vs $113.44) and FY2026 obligations ($352.3M vs $200.8M). Nebraska has more people (2,005,465 vs 1,769,979) and more awards (36,000 vs 14,302). Both dollar series are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.
Why does Nebraska have a higher per-capita figure on a smaller stock?
The packet reports $175.68 per capita in Nebraska on 2,005,465 residents and $113.44 in West Virginia on 1,769,979. Stacked stocks are $1.2B versus $1.7B. Award counts are 36,000 versus 14,302. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays. Population is close enough (2,005,465 vs 1,769,979) that headcount alone does not explain the stock gap.
What industries lead in Nebraska and West Virginia?
Nebraska’s top industry is other computer related services. 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 36,000 in Nebraska and 14,302 in West Virginia. FY2026 obligations are $352.3M in Nebraska and $200.8M in West Virginia.
Are Nebraska vs West Virginia figures Treasury outlays?
No. The $1.2B and $1.7B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $352.3M and $200.8M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($175.68 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.

Side-by-side federal spending and demographic comparison between Nebraska and West Virginia.
NebraskaMetricWest Virginia
$15.37BTotal Spending$13.00B
$8KPer Capita$7K
N/A% of GDPN/A
2.0MPopulation1.8M
N/AMedian IncomeN/A
N/APoverty RateN/A
N/ABachelor Degree %N/A
N/AMedian AgeN/A
N/AUnemploymentN/A
N/AGDP (Millions)N/A

Top Agencies — Nebraska

  • Department of Health and Human Services$32.46B
  • Social Security Administration$22.88B
  • Department of Agriculture$4.95B
  • Department of Defense$4.79B
  • Department of Veterans Affairs$4.19B

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 — Nebraska

  • COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION$1.19B
  • COMPUTER SYSTEMS DESIGN SERVICES$1.10B
  • ENGINEERING SERVICES$607.5M
  • OTHER COMPUTER RELATED SERVICES$405.1M
  • FACILITIES SUPPORT SERVICES$381.7M

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