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Wisconsin vs District of Columbia

Federal spending comparison

The District of Columbia accounts for $19.9B in federal obligations on USAspending.gov. Wisconsin accounts for $10.0B. Wisconsin has 5,960,975 residents; the District has 702,250. Spending per capita is $407.20 in Wisconsin and $3,166.95 in the District. Wisconsin logs 181,419 awards against the District’s 95,844. FY2026 flips the dollar lead: Wisconsin books $2.4B while the District books $2.2B.

Key figures

  • District of Columbia $19.9B vs Wisconsin $10.0B in USAspending obligations — D.C. leads the stacked file.
  • Populations: Wisconsin 5,960,975 vs D.C. 702,250; per capita $407.20 vs $3,166.95.
  • Wisconsin has more awards (181,419 vs 95,844); FY2026 $2.4B vs $2.2B favors Wisconsin.
  • Top industries: direct health and medical insurance carriers (WI) vs administrative management and general management consulting services (DC).
  • Figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.

The District’s $19.9B versus Wisconsin’s $10.0B

These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays. The District’s $19.9B is about twice Wisconsin’s $10.0B. Place of performance in the award file is not a population contest. A 702,250-person capital can outrun a 5,960,975-person Great Lakes state in this aggregate because headquarters contracting stacks dollars in the District.

Award counts favor Wisconsin. Wisconsin has 181,419 awards; the District has 95,844. Wisconsin’s file is busier in rows and lighter in dollars. The District’s file is heavier in dollars on fewer actions — a higher typical booking. The $19.9B versus $10.0B ranking is a dollar ranking, not a row ranking.

Wisconsin’s $407.20 versus the District’s $3,166.95

Wisconsin’s 5,960,975 residents dwarf the District’s 702,250. After dividing the obligation stocks by those Census counts, the District shows $3,166.95 per capita and Wisconsin shows $407.20. Wisconsin’s $407.20 is already intensive relative to many large states; the District is in another band because 702,250 residents sit under $19.9B.

A $407.20 per-person reading in Wisconsin on 5,960,975 residents is an intensity fact attached to a $10.0B stock. The District’s $3,166.95 is not a claim that every resident received that amount. This table scores USAspending awards, not GDP and not a household transfer.

Full analysis: Wisconsin vs District of Columbia on USAspending: $10.0B vs $19.9B

Questions

Which has more federal spending, Wisconsin or the District of Columbia?
The District of Columbia leads in stacked USAspending.gov obligations: $19.9B versus Wisconsin’s $10.0B. Wisconsin has more awards (181,419 vs 95,844) and more people (5,960,975 vs 702,250). Spending per capita is $407.20 in Wisconsin and $3,166.95 in the District. FY2026 obligations are $2.4B in Wisconsin and $2.2B in the District. These are obligations, not Treasury outlays.
Does Wisconsin have a larger FY2026 total than D.C.?
Yes. FY2026 obligations are $2.4B in Wisconsin and $2.2B in the District, reversing the stacked $10.0B versus $19.9B ranking. Wisconsin also logs more awards (181,419 vs 95,844). The District still leads per capita ($3,166.95 vs $407.20) on 702,250 residents versus 5,960,975. Recency and stock are different cuts.
What industries lead Wisconsin and D.C. federal awards?
Wisconsin’s top industry is direct health and medical insurance carriers. The District’s is administrative management and general management consulting services. Those slices sit on $10.0B and $19.9B in obligations. They mark the largest grouping in each file, not every award. Award counts are 181,419 in Wisconsin and 95,844 in the District.
Are Wisconsin vs D.C. figures Treasury outlays?
No. SpendingVault uses USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. The $10.0B and $19.9B stacked totals and FY2026 amounts of $2.4B and $2.2B measure award commitments by place of performance, not Monthly Treasury Statement payments. Place of performance can differ from where the paying agency sits.

State comparison from SpendingVault aggregates of USAspending obligations. Per-capita uses Census population where present.

Side-by-side federal spending and demographic comparison between Wisconsin and District of Columbia.
WisconsinMetricDistrict of Columbia
$57.75BTotal Spending$18.02B
$10KPer Capita$26K
N/A% of GDPN/A
6.0MPopulation702K
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 — Wisconsin

  • Department of Health and Human Services$186.65B
  • Social Security Administration$83.56B
  • Department of Defense$20.74B
  • Department of Veterans Affairs$16.17B
  • Department of Agriculture$9.91B

Top Agencies — District of Columbia

  • Department of Transportation$56.43B
  • Department of Defense$35.97B
  • Department of Health and Human Services$30.00B
  • Department of State$21.68B
  • Department of Homeland Security$18.82B

Top Industries — Wisconsin

  • OFFICES OF PHYSICIANS (EXCEPT MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS)$5.99B
  • MILITARY ARMORED VEHICLE, TANK, AND TANK COMPONENT MANUFACTURING$5.66B
  • TRUCK TRAILER MANUFACTURING$4.15B
  • DIRECT HEALTH AND MEDICAL INSURANCE CARRIERS$2.74B
  • SHIP BUILDING AND REPAIRING$2.73B

Top Industries — District of Columbia

  • COMPUTER SYSTEMS DESIGN SERVICES$29.48B
  • ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES$26.89B
  • ENGINEERING SERVICES$21.45B
  • OTHER COMPUTER RELATED SERVICES$16.10B
  • CUSTOM COMPUTER PROGRAMMING SERVICES$6.61B