Louisiana vs Oklahoma on USAspending: $4.71B vs $5.46B

Oklahoma’s stacked lead on two similar-size states

Oklahoma’s $5.46B is about 1.16 times Louisiana’s $4.71B. Population runs the other way by a small margin: Louisiana’s 4,597,740 versus Oklahoma’s 4,095,393, about 1.12 times. Dollars and people are both close. Intensity is not a photo finish. Louisiana’s $268.17 per capita still clears Oklahoma’s $205.98 because $4.71B on 4,597,740 residents is a hotter ratio than $5.46B on 4,095,393.

Award counts also go to Louisiana, 72,577 versus 50,460. Oklahoma’s larger dollar stock sits on fewer rows. Louisiana’s file is busier and, on a per-resident basis, denser. That combination — fewer stacked dollars, more awards, higher per capita — is the opposite of a simple “bigger state, bigger file” story.

FY2026 then hands Louisiana the latest-year dollar lead, $1.23B versus $843.6M, so the stacked ranking is the main cut Oklahoma still wins.

Ship building versus aircraft parts

Louisiana’s top industry is ship building and repairing. Oklahoma’s top industry is other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing. Those NAICS peaks sit on $4.71B and $5.46B. A shipyard lead is a first filter on the Gulf mix; an aircraft-parts lead is a first filter on the Oklahoma mix.

The 72,577 Louisiana awards and 50,460 Oklahoma awards include many actions outside those labels. Use the Louisiana and Oklahoma state hubs for agencies and recipients. Both peaks are USAspending.gov obligation mixes, not outlay mixes.

FY2026: Louisiana’s $1.23B over Oklahoma’s $843.6M

Fiscal year 2026 obligations are $1.23B in Louisiana and $843.6M in Oklahoma. Recency flips the dollar ranking that the stacked $4.71B versus $5.46B still assigns to Oklahoma. Treat FY2026 as a recency slice of obligations, not as cash paid and not as a full-year forecast.

Do not divide $1.23B or $843.6M by 72,577 or 50,460 all-years awards. Per capita of $268.17 and $205.98 already uses 4,597,740 and 4,095,393 residents against the stacked stocks.

Two Census counts that almost match

4,597,740 versus 4,095,393 is a small population gap as these comparisons go. $4.71B versus $5.46B is also a small dollar gap. The per-capita pair of $268.17 and $205.98 is the ranking that opens up. Award counts of 72,577 and 50,460 open up as well. Similar-size states can still post different file structures.

Keep those per-capita figures labeled as stacked USAspending.gov obligations divided by Census counts. They are not income and they are not outlays.

How to read Louisiana versus Oklahoma

Read Oklahoma first on stacked dollars ($5.46B vs $4.71B). Read Louisiana first on intensity ($268.17 vs $205.98), awards (72,577 vs 50,460), and FY2026 ($1.23B vs $843.6M). Note ship building versus aircraft parts. All of those cuts are obligations.

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

Similar Census bands, different obligation stories

Louisiana’s $4.71B and Oklahoma’s $5.46B are USAspending.gov obligations on Census counts of 4,597,740 and 4,095,393. Ship building and repairing versus other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing is the industry split. FY2026’s $1.23B versus $843.6M is the recency ranking Louisiana wins after Oklahoma takes the stacked stock.

Spending per capita of $268.17 and $205.98 sits beside those Census counts. Award counts of 72,577 and 50,460 go to Louisiana even while Oklahoma leads the multi-year dollars. Use the Louisiana and Oklahoma hubs for agencies and recipients. Outlays are a different series.

Oklahoma’s $5.46B stacked lead is modest next to Louisiana’s $4.71B. Award counts of 72,577 versus 50,460, per capita of $268.17 versus $205.98, and FY2026 of $1.23B versus $843.6M all go the other way. Ship building versus aircraft parts is the mix split. Census counts of 4,597,740 and 4,095,393 stay in the same band.

Questions

Does Louisiana or Oklahoma have more federal spending?

Oklahoma leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $5.46B to Louisiana’s $4.71B. Louisiana leads spending per capita, $268.17 versus $205.98, on 4,597,740 residents against Oklahoma’s 4,095,393. Louisiana has more awards (72,577 vs 50,460). FY2026 obligations are $1.23B in Louisiana and $843.6M in Oklahoma.

Why is Louisiana’s per-capita figure higher if Oklahoma has more dollars?

The packet reports $268.17 per capita in Louisiana on 4,597,740 residents and $205.98 in Oklahoma on 4,095,393. The Census counts are close; the ratios are not. Award counts are 72,577 versus 50,460. Stacked obligations are $4.71B versus $5.46B. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.

What industries lead in Louisiana and Oklahoma?

Louisiana’s top industry is ship building and repairing. Oklahoma’s is other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $4.71B and $5.46B. Award counts are 72,577 in Louisiana and 50,460 in Oklahoma.

Are Louisiana vs Oklahoma figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $4.71B and $5.46B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $1.23B and $843.6M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($268.17 vs $205.98) uses Census population against those obligations.