Does Iowa or New Mexico have more federal spending?

New Mexico leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $3.93B to Iowa’s $3.84B. New Mexico also leads spending per capita, $945.82 versus $127.17, on 2,130,256 residents against Iowa’s 3,241,488. Iowa has more awards (48,706 vs 19,233). FY2026 obligations are $412.2M in Iowa and $2.01B in New Mexico.

Why is New Mexico’s per-capita figure so much higher than Iowa’s?

The packet reports $945.82 per capita in New Mexico on 2,130,256 residents and $127.17 in Iowa on 3,241,488. Stacked stocks are close ($3.93B vs $3.84B). FY2026 obligations are $2.01B versus $412.2M. Award counts are 19,233 versus 48,706. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.

Are Iowa vs New Mexico figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $3.84B and $3.93B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $412.2M and $2.01B, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($127.17 vs $945.82) uses Census population where present.

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Iowa vs New Mexico on USAspending: $3.84B vs $3.93B

New Mexico accounts for $3.93B in USAspending.gov obligations; Iowa accounts for $3.84B. The stacked stocks are a near-tie. Intensity is not. New Mexico’s spending per capita is $945.82 on 2,130,256 residents; Iowa’s is $127.17 on 3,241,488. Award counts favor Iowa, 48,706 to 19,233. FY2026 dollars favor New Mexico, $2.01B versus $412.2M. Iowa’s top industry is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing; New Mexico’s is commercial and institutional building construction. The figures are obligations, not outlays.

Key figures

New Mexico $3.93B vs Iowa $3.84B in stacked USAspending obligations.
New Mexico per capita $945.82 vs Iowa $127.17 on 2,130,256 vs 3,241,488 residents.
Awards: 48,706 vs 19,233; FY2026 $412.2M vs $2.01B.
Top industries: wireless communications equipment in Iowa; commercial construction in New Mexico.
Figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.

Two $3.8–$3.9B files, one outlier ratio

New Mexico’s $3.93B is about 1.02 times Iowa’s $3.84B. Population runs the other way: Iowa’s 3,241,488 versus New Mexico’s 2,130,256, about 1.52 times. The stacked race is a rounding error. The per-capita pair of $945.82 versus $127.17 is not. Cite those ratios as packet figures beside the Census counts.

Award counts belong to Iowa, 48,706 versus 19,233. Iowa’s file is busier in rows on a slightly smaller stock. New Mexico’s 19,233 actions on $3.93B are fewer and still sit beside the $945.82 reading.

FY2026 then leaves the near-tie behind. $2.01B in New Mexico versus $412.2M in Iowa is the recency ranking that matches intensity, not the stacked stock.

Wireless equipment in Iowa, construction in New Mexico

Iowa’s lead NAICS is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing. New Mexico’s lead NAICS is commercial and institutional building construction. Those peaks sit on $3.84B and $3.93B. A wireless-equipment lead is a first filter on the Iowa mix; a construction lead is a first filter on the New Mexico mix.

The 48,706 Iowa awards and 19,233 New Mexico awards include many actions outside those labels. Use the Iowa and New Mexico state hubs for agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes.

FY2026: New Mexico’s $2.01B versus Iowa’s $412.2M

Fiscal year 2026 obligations are $2.01B in New Mexico and $412.2M in Iowa. Recency flips any reading that treats $3.93B versus $3.84B as the whole comparison. Treat the year as a recency slice of obligations, not as Treasury cash.

Do not divide $2.01B or $412.2M by 19,233 or 48,706 all-years awards. Spending per capita of $945.82 and $127.17 already sits beside Census counts of 2,130,256 and 3,241,488 in the packet.

Iowa’s extra people do not produce the extra intensity

Iowa’s 3,241,488 residents exceed New Mexico’s 2,130,256, and Iowa still trails on $3.84B versus $3.93B. The per-person ranking follows New Mexico at $945.82 versus $127.17. Award volume of 48,706 versus 19,233 is Iowa’s win on rows, not on dollars or intensity.

Keep those per-capita figures labeled as Census-based packet figures on USAspending.gov obligations. They are not outlays per resident.

How to read Iowa versus New Mexico

Read the stacked stocks as a near-tie ($3.84B vs $3.93B). Read New Mexico first on intensity ($945.82 vs $127.17) and on FY2026 ($2.01B vs $412.2M). Read Iowa first on awards (48,706 vs 19,233) and population (3,241,488 vs 2,130,256). Note wireless equipment versus construction. All cuts are obligations.

The comparison hub holds the tables. The Iowa and New Mexico hubs hold agencies and recipients. Outlays are a different series.

Wireless gear versus construction on a $3.8B shelf

Iowa’s $3.84B and New Mexico’s $3.93B are USAspending.gov obligations. Radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing versus commercial and institutional building construction is the industry split. FY2026’s $412.2M versus $2.01B is the recency ranking New Mexico wins after a stacked near-tie. None of those cuts is an outlay.

Spending per capita of $127.17 and $945.82 sits beside Census counts of 3,241,488 and 2,130,256. Award counts of 48,706 and 19,233 go to Iowa on rows. Use the Iowa and New Mexico hubs for agencies and recipients. The comparison hub holds the paired tables.

Iowa’s 48,706 awards on $3.84B versus New Mexico’s 19,233 awards on $3.93B is the row gap. FY2026 of $412.2M versus $2.01B is the recency gap. Per capita of $127.17 versus $945.82 sits beside Census counts of 3,241,488 and 2,130,256. Wireless equipment versus construction is mix. All cuts are USAspending.gov obligations.

Questions

Does Iowa or New Mexico have more federal spending?: New Mexico leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $3.93B to Iowa’s $3.84B. New Mexico also leads spending per capita, $945.82 versus $127.17, on 2,130,256 residents against Iowa’s 3,241,488. Iowa has more awards (48,706 vs 19,233). FY2026 obligations are $412.2M in Iowa and $2.01B in New Mexico.
Why is New Mexico’s per-capita figure so much higher than Iowa’s?: The packet reports $945.82 per capita in New Mexico on 2,130,256 residents and $127.17 in Iowa on 3,241,488. Stacked stocks are close ($3.93B vs $3.84B). FY2026 obligations are $2.01B versus $412.2M. Award counts are 19,233 versus 48,706. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.
What industries lead in Iowa and New Mexico?: Iowa’s top industry is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing. New Mexico’s is commercial and institutional building construction. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $3.84B and $3.93B. Award counts are 48,706 in Iowa and 19,233 in New Mexico.
Are Iowa vs New Mexico figures Treasury outlays?: No. The $3.84B and $3.93B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $412.2M and $2.01B, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($127.17 vs $945.82) uses Census population where present.

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