Illinois vs New York on USAspending: $15.9B vs $11.9B

Illinois’s $15.9B versus New York’s $11.9B

These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays. Illinois’s $15.9B is about 1.3 times New York’s $11.9B. Among two large states, the award-dollar lead belongs to Illinois in this aggregate. That is the first fact to hold before anyone assumes the 19,867,248-person state must hold the larger file.

Award counts run the same direction as dollars. Illinois has 1,544,633 awards; New York has 705,506. Illinois’s file is busier in rows and heavier in dollars. New York’s 705,506 awards on $11.9B is still a large federal footprint; it is simply attached to a thinner stock than Illinois’s $15.9B on 1,544,633 actions.

More people in New York, more dollars per person in Illinois

New York’s 19,867,248 residents exceed Illinois’s 12,710,158. Spending per capita still favors Illinois: $143.78 versus $70.36. After dividing $15.9B and $11.9B by those Census counts, Illinois remains about twice as intensive. Population is not the engine of this ranking.

A $70.36 per-person reading in New York on 19,867,248 residents means a huge private economy can coexist with a thinner federal-award intensity than Illinois shows at $143.78. This table scores USAspending place of performance, not GDP. New York’s larger Census count does not produce a larger obligation stock.

Miscellaneous manufacturing in Illinois, communications equipment in New York

Illinois’s top industry is all other miscellaneous manufacturing. New York’s is other communications equipment manufacturing. Those labels mark the largest NAICS slice in each state’s file, not a full industrial census. A catch-all manufacturing grouping and an equipment-manufacturing grouping are different lead products sitting on $15.9B and $11.9B.

A miscellaneous-manufacturing lead inside Illinois’s 1,544,633-award file can sit among many smaller actions. A communications-equipment lead can concentrate hardware production inside New York’s 705,506-award file. Mix and scale both differ. Neither industry name explains every dollar.

FY2026: $1.8B in Illinois vs $1.4B in New York

FY2026 obligations are $1.8B in Illinois and $1.4B in New York. Illinois’s latest year remains ahead, matching the direction of the $15.9B versus $11.9B stacked ranking. Recency questions belong in FY2026. The stacked totals remain the full USAspending.gov aggregate this comparison uses. Both years are obligations, not outlays.

Do not divide those FY figures by Illinois’s 1,544,633 or New York’s 705,506 all-years awards. Per capita of $143.78 on 12,710,158 residents versus $70.36 on 19,867,248 residents is the intensity comparison that already reverses the population ranking. Both cuts are USAspending.gov obligations.

Two large states, inverted population ranking

Illinois leads stacked dollars ($15.9B vs $11.9B), award count (1,544,633 vs 705,506), per capita ($143.78 vs $70.36), and FY2026 ($1.8B vs $1.4B). New York leads population (19,867,248 vs 12,710,158). That single inversion — more New York people, smaller New York file — is the distinctive fact in this pair.

All other miscellaneous manufacturing versus other communications equipment manufacturing is mix inside files that contain many other industries. Use the Illinois and New York hubs for agencies and recipients. Keep $15.9B and $11.9B labeled as obligations.

How to use the Illinois and New York hubs

New York’s 19,867,248 residents do not produce a larger obligation stock than Illinois’s 12,710,158. The $11.9B versus $15.9B ranking, the 705,506 versus 1,544,633 award counts, and the $70.36 versus $143.78 per-capita cut all favor Illinois except population. Open the Illinois hub and the New York hub for agencies and recipients. All other miscellaneous manufacturing versus other communications equipment manufacturing is mix.

FY2026’s $1.8B versus $1.4B follows the stacked ranking. These are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays. Place of performance can differ from the paying agency’s location. Do not divide latest-year dollars by all-years award counts. Use the hubs when the next question is recipients. Keep $15.9B and $11.9B labeled as obligations so a later cash lag is not mistaken for a ranking change.

Illinois versus New York is the pair where 12,710,158 residents outrun 19,867,248 on dollars: $15.9B versus $11.9B. All other miscellaneous manufacturing and other communications equipment manufacturing sit on 1,544,633 and 705,506 awards. FY2026 of $1.8B versus $1.4B follows the stock. Per capita is $143.78 versus $70.36. Obligations are not outlays. The Illinois and New York hubs are the next stop for agencies and recipients. New York’s 19,867,248 residents do not buy a larger USAspending.gov stock than Illinois’s 12,710,158. The $11.9B versus $15.9B ranking and the $70.36 versus $143.78 intensity cut both reverse population.

Questions

Which state has more federal spending, Illinois or New York?

Illinois leads in USAspending.gov obligations: $15.9B versus New York’s $11.9B. Illinois has more awards (1,544,633 vs 705,506) despite fewer people (12,710,158 vs 19,867,248). Spending per capita is $143.78 in Illinois and $70.36 in New York. FY2026 obligations are $1.8B and $1.4B. These are obligations, not Treasury outlays.

Why does Illinois show more federal obligations than New York despite fewer people?

Illinois’s $15.9B on 12,710,158 residents produces $143.78 per capita. New York’s $11.9B on 19,867,248 residents produces $70.36. Award counts also favor Illinois (1,544,633 vs 705,506). Illinois’s lead is both dollars and rows, not merely intensity. FY2026 also favors Illinois ($1.8B vs $1.4B).

What industries lead Illinois and New York federal awards?

Illinois’s top industry is all other miscellaneous manufacturing. New York’s is other communications equipment manufacturing. Those slices sit on $15.9B and $11.9B in obligations. They mark the largest grouping in each file, not every award in either state. Award counts are 1,544,633 in Illinois and 705,506 in New York.

Are Illinois vs New York figures Treasury outlays?

No. SpendingVault uses USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. The $15.9B and $11.9B stacked totals and FY2026 amounts of $1.8B and $1.4B measure award commitments by place of performance, not Monthly Treasury Statement payments. Place of performance can differ from where the paying agency sits.