Iowa vs Tennessee on USAspending: $3.84B vs $3.58B

Iowa’s stacked lead on a smaller Census map

Iowa’s $3.84B is about 1.07 times Tennessee’s $3.58B. Population runs the other way by about 2.23 times: 7,227,750 versus 3,241,488. People outrun dollars, which is the setup for Iowa’s $127.17 per capita against Tennessee’s $97.50. Cite those ratios as packet figures beside the Census counts.

Award counts favor Tennessee, 63,616 versus 48,706. The gap is real and not enormous. Tennessee’s file is busier in rows on a smaller stock. Iowa’s 48,706 actions on $3.84B still sit beside the hotter per-capita reading.

FY2026 then flips the dollar ranking. $704.7M in Tennessee versus $412.2M in Iowa hands recency to Tennessee even while Iowa keeps the stacked lead and the intensity lead. Iowa’s 3,241,488 residents versus Tennessee’s 7,227,750 is a twofold Census gap that $3.84B versus $3.58B does not follow, which is why $127.17 versus $97.50 still favors Iowa while $412.2M versus $704.7M does not.

Wireless equipment versus couriers

Iowa’s lead NAICS is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing. Tennessee’s lead NAICS is couriers and express delivery services. Those peaks sit on $3.84B and $3.58B. A wireless-equipment lead is a first filter on the Iowa mix; a courier lead is a first filter on the Tennessee mix.

The 48,706 Iowa awards and 63,616 Tennessee awards include many actions outside those labels. Use the Iowa and Tennessee state hubs for agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes.

FY2026: Tennessee’s $704.7M versus Iowa’s $412.2M

Fiscal year 2026 obligations are $704.7M in Tennessee and $412.2M in Iowa. Recency flips the stacked $3.84B versus $3.58B ranking. Treat the year as a recency slice of obligations, not as Treasury cash.

Do not divide $704.7M or $412.2M by 63,616 or 48,706 all-years awards. Spending per capita of $97.50 and $127.17 already sits beside Census counts of 7,227,750 and 3,241,488 in the packet.

Twice the people, a cooler ratio

Tennessee’s 7,227,750 residents dwarf Iowa’s 3,241,488, and Tennessee still trails on $3.58B versus $3.84B. The per-person ranking follows Iowa at $97.50 versus $127.17. Award volume of 63,616 versus 48,706 is Tennessee’s modest win on rows.

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 Tennessee

Read Iowa first on stacked dollars ($3.84B vs $3.58B) and intensity ($127.17 vs $97.50). Read Tennessee first on population (7,227,750 vs 3,241,488), awards (63,616 vs 48,706), and FY2026 ($704.7M vs $412.2M). Note wireless equipment versus couriers. All cuts are obligations.

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

Iowa’s stock, Tennessee’s latest year

Iowa’s $3.84B and Tennessee’s $3.58B are USAspending.gov obligations. Radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing versus couriers and express delivery services is the industry split. FY2026’s $412.2M versus $704.7M flips the dollar ranking on recency. Spending per capita of $127.17 and $97.50 still favors Iowa on Census counts of 3,241,488 and 7,227,750.

Award counts of 48,706 and 63,616 go to Tennessee on rows. Use the Iowa and Tennessee hubs for agencies and recipients. Outlays are not in the packet. The comparison hub is the paired obligation view.

Iowa’s $3.84B versus Tennessee’s $3.58B is a modest stacked lead. FY2026 of $412.2M versus $704.7M flips it. Per capita of $127.17 versus $97.50 stays with Iowa on Census counts of 3,241,488 and 7,227,750. Award counts of 48,706 versus 63,616 go to Tennessee. Wireless equipment versus couriers is mix. None of those figures is an outlay.

Questions

Does Iowa or Tennessee have more federal spending?

Iowa leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $3.84B to Tennessee’s $3.58B. Iowa also leads spending per capita, $127.17 versus $97.50, on 3,241,488 residents against Tennessee’s 7,227,750. Tennessee has more awards (63,616 vs 48,706). FY2026 obligations are $412.2M in Iowa and $704.7M in Tennessee.

Does FY2026 agree with the stacked Iowa lead?

No. Iowa leads the stacked stocks $3.84B to $3.58B, but FY2026 obligations favor Tennessee, $704.7M versus $412.2M. Spending per capita still favors Iowa, $127.17 versus $97.50. Award counts are 48,706 versus 63,616. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.

What industries lead in Iowa and Tennessee?

Iowa’s top industry is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing. Tennessee’s is couriers and express delivery services. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $3.84B and $3.58B. Award counts are 48,706 in Iowa and 63,616 in Tennessee.

Are Iowa vs Tennessee figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $3.84B and $3.58B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $412.2M and $704.7M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($127.17 vs $97.50) uses Census population where present.