South Carolina vs West Virginia on USAspending: $3.9B vs $1.7B

South Carolina’s $3.9B more than doubles West Virginia’s $1.7B

Stacked USAspending.gov obligations put South Carolina ahead $3.9B to $1.7B, about 2.3×. Population is about 3.1× (5,478,831 vs 1,769,979). People outrun dollars, which is why West Virginia leads intensity: $113.44 per capita versus $83.98. Stock and intensity disagree.

Award counts disagree even more. South Carolina has 129,440 awards; West Virginia has 14,302, about a 9.0× gap. South Carolina’s file is far busier in rows. West Virginia’s 14,302 actions on $1.7B are fewer and, on average, heavier. Row volume is not the same ranking as $3.9B versus $1.7B.

South Carolina’s 129,440 awards on $3.9B make West Virginia’s 14,302 awards on $1.7B look sparse. Sparse is not empty. It is a different action mix, consistent with ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing as West Virginia’s peak versus biological product (except diagnostic) manufacturing as South Carolina’s peak.

Biological products in South Carolina, ammunition in West Virginia

South Carolina’s top industry is biological product (except diagnostic) manufacturing. West Virginia’s is ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing. Both are manufacturing peaks, but they are not the same product class. One is biologics; the other is ammunition. They sit on $3.9B and $1.7B.

A biologics lead can mark large production awards inside 129,440 South Carolina actions. An ammunition lead can concentrate dollars inside only 14,302 West Virginia actions. Each is the tallest NAICS bar. The South Carolina and West Virginia hubs carry agencies and recipients.

The $83.98 versus $113.44 per-capita pair uses 5,478,831 and 1,769,979 residents. FY2026’s $460.1M versus $200.8M uses a single fiscal year. Stacked stock uses $3.9B versus $1.7B. Those three cuts are all obligations. They are not interchangeable, and they are not outlays.

FY2026: $460.1M vs $200.8M

FY2026 obligations are $460.1M in South Carolina and $200.8M in West Virginia. South Carolina still leads the latest year, at about 2.3× — close to the stacked $3.9B versus $1.7B multiple. Recency does not invert this pair. It restates the dollar lead in a single fiscal year.

West Virginia’s $200.8M is a sizable slice of its $1.7B stock. South Carolina’s $460.1M is a smaller share of $3.9B. Do not divide FY figures by 129,440 or 14,302 all-years awards. Per capita of $83.98 and $113.44 already uses 5,478,831 and 1,769,979 residents against stacked obligations.

Intensity favors the smaller Census count

West Virginia’s $113.44 per capita on 1,769,979 residents is federal-award intensity, not a claim that South Carolina’s $3.9B file is small. South Carolina’s $83.98 on 5,478,831 residents is the same ratio with a larger denominator. The table does not score GDP or state taxes.

Obligations are commitments. Outlays can lag. Place of performance can differ from headquarters. Keep $3.9B and $1.7B labeled as USAspending.gov obligations.

How to use the South Carolina–West Virginia pair

Read dollars first ($3.9B vs $1.7B), then the per-capita flip ($83.98 vs $113.44), then the award-count gulf (129,440 vs 14,302). Add mix: biological product (except diagnostic) manufacturing versus ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing. Check FY2026 ($460.1M vs $200.8M) for recency.

The comparison hub holds the tables. The South Carolina and West Virginia hubs hold the detail. None of those pages convert obligations into outlays.

Nine times the awards, twice the dollars

South Carolina’s 129,440 awards versus West Virginia’s 14,302 is about a 9× row gap on only a 2.3× dollar gap ($3.9B vs $1.7B). South Carolina’s file is busy. West Virginia’s file is sparse in rows and thicker per action. That is consistent with an ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing lead on 14,302 actions versus a biological product (except diagnostic) manufacturing lead on 129,440 actions.

Per capita still favors West Virginia, $113.44 on 1,769,979 residents versus $83.98 on 5,478,831 residents. FY2026’s $460.1M versus $200.8M does not erase that intensity ranking. It restates South Carolina’s dollar lead in one year. All of those cuts are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays. The comparison hub and the two state hubs keep stock, mix, and recency in separate views.

Questions

Which has more federal spending, South Carolina or West Virginia?

South Carolina leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $3.9B to West Virginia’s $1.7B. West Virginia leads spending per capita, $113.44 versus $83.98, on 1,769,979 residents against South Carolina’s 5,478,831. South Carolina has far more awards (129,440 vs 14,302). FY2026 obligations are $460.1M and $200.8M.

Why is West Virginia’s per capita higher if South Carolina has more dollars?

South Carolina’s $3.9B is spread across 5,478,831 residents ($83.98 per capita). West Virginia’s $1.7B is spread across 1,769,979 residents ($113.44). Population diverges faster than obligations, so intensity favors West Virginia. Award counts still favor South Carolina (129,440 vs 14,302). These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.

What industries lead South Carolina and West Virginia awards?

South Carolina’s top industry is biological product (except diagnostic) manufacturing. West Virginia’s is ammunition (except small arms) manufacturing. Those labels sit on $3.9B and $1.7B. They are the largest slices, not every award among 129,440 or 14,302 actions. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.

Are South Carolina vs West Virginia totals outlays?

No. The $3.9B and $1.7B figures, and FY2026 amounts of $460.1M and $200.8M, are USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance. Treasury outlays are payments and can lag those commitments. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.