Kentucky vs Mississippi on USAspending: $3.82B vs $2.88B

Two high-volume Southern files, one larger stock

Kentucky’s $3.82B stacked total is about 1.32 times Mississippi’s $2.88B. Kentucky’s Census count of 4,588,372 is about 1.56 times Mississippi’s 2,943,045. Intensity stays in Kentucky’s favor, $142.10 versus $115.31. Those ratios are packet figures of USAspending.gov obligations beside Census population. They are not outlays per resident.

Both files are busy. Mississippi’s 233,003 awards and Kentucky’s 140,157 awards are large action lists by the standards of this comparison set. Mississippi still files more rows on the smaller stock. Courier traffic in Kentucky and shipyard work in Mississippi are both categories that can multiply actions.

Kentucky leads stock, per capita, population, and FY2026. Mississippi leads the row count. That is the pair’s split.

Couriers and express delivery versus ship building

Kentucky’s lead NAICS is couriers and express delivery services. Mississippi’s lead NAICS is ship building and repairing. Courier work is Kentucky’s peak on $3.82B and 140,157 awards. Shipyard work is Mississippi’s peak on $2.88B and 233,003 awards. Two high-row peaks, two different products.

Those labels are the largest NAICS slices, not complete profiles. The Kentucky and Mississippi state hubs list agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes.

FY2026: Kentucky’s $652.0M versus Mississippi’s $339.4M

Fiscal year 2026 obligations are $652.0M in Kentucky and $339.4M in Mississippi. Recency widens Kentucky’s lead. $652.0M is about 1.92 times $339.4M, versus 1.32 times on the all-years $3.82B versus $2.88B. Kentucky’s dollar advantage is larger in the latest year than in the stacked file.

Read FY2026 as an obligation year slice. Do not divide $652.0M or $339.4M by 140,157 or 233,003 all-years awards. Spending per capita of $142.10 and $115.31 already uses Census counts of 4,588,372 and 2,943,045.

233,003 awards still trail $3.82B

Mississippi’s 233,003 awards are about 1.66 times Kentucky’s 140,157. Mississippi’s $2.88B still trails Kentucky’s $3.82B. More actions sit on fewer stacked dollars. The shipyard file is the longer list. The courier file is the larger stock and the hotter per-capita ratio ($142.10 vs $115.31).

Both states generate enough awards that neither looks sparse. The comparison is about which busy file carries more obligation dollars, not about a busy file versus an empty one.

Kentucky and Mississippi both generate long award lists — 140,157 and 233,003 — so neither file looks sparse. The dollar ranking still belongs to Kentucky: $3.82B versus $2.88B, $142.10 versus $115.31 per capita on 4,588,372 versus 2,943,045 residents, and $652.0M versus $339.4M in FY2026. Couriers and express delivery services versus ship building and repairing is why both lists run long. More Mississippi actions sit on fewer stacked dollars. That inversion is the reason to keep awards and dollars on separate lines. All figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.

How to read Kentucky versus Mississippi

Read Kentucky first on stacked stock ($3.82B vs $2.88B), spending per capita ($142.10 vs $115.31), population (4,588,372 vs 2,943,045), and FY2026 ($652.0M vs $339.4M). Read Mississippi first on awards (233,003 vs 140,157). Note couriers versus ship building. All cuts are obligations.

The comparison hub holds the tables. The Kentucky and Mississippi hubs hold state detail. Outlays stay off this page.

Two busy Southern files, two different peaks

Kentucky’s 140,157 awards and Mississippi’s 233,003 awards are both long lists. Courier and express delivery services in Kentucky and ship building and repairing in Mississippi are both categories that can multiply actions. The comparison is not a busy file versus an empty file. It is which busy file carries more obligation dollars: Kentucky’s $3.82B versus Mississippi’s $2.88B, Kentucky’s $652.0M FY2026 versus Mississippi’s $339.4M, and Kentucky’s $142.10 per capita versus Mississippi’s $115.31.

Census counts of 4,588,372 and 2,943,045 sit behind those per-capita figures. Keep every ranking on USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are a different series and can lag both courier contracts and shipyard awards. The Kentucky and Mississippi hubs list agencies and recipients. This page does not add employment or output claims. Kentucky’s $3.82B and Mississippi’s $2.88B stay comparable only as USAspending.gov obligations, not as outlays. Award counts of 140,157 and 233,003 remain a separate column. FY2026 amounts of $652.0M and $339.4M are the same obligation series in the latest year.

Questions

Does Kentucky or Mississippi have more federal spending?

Kentucky leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $3.82B to Mississippi’s $2.88B. Kentucky also leads spending per capita, $142.10 versus $115.31, on 4,588,372 residents against Mississippi’s 2,943,045. Mississippi has more awards (233,003 vs 140,157). FY2026 obligations are $652.0M in Kentucky and $339.4M in Mississippi.

Which state has more federal awards?

Mississippi’s award count is 233,003 against Kentucky’s 140,157. Mississippi’s top industry is ship building and repairing; Kentucky’s is couriers and express delivery services. Stacked obligations still favor Kentucky, $3.82B to $2.88B. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays. Cite only the packet ratios; do not treat them as cash per resident or as a forecast.

What industries lead in Kentucky and Mississippi?

Kentucky’s top industry is couriers and express delivery services. Mississippi’s is ship building and repairing. Those labels sit on $3.82B and $2.88B. Award counts are 140,157 in Kentucky and 233,003 in Mississippi. Both mixes are USAspending.gov obligations. Those NAICS labels are the largest slices on the stacked stocks, not complete industrial profiles.

Are Kentucky vs Mississippi figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $3.82B and $2.88B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $652.0M and $339.4M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($142.10 vs $115.31) uses Census population where present. Spending per capita uses Census population where present and should not be read as cash per resident.