State Welfare Spending Rank

Rank the 50 states for state and local welfare spending.

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	State	State Spending	Local Spending	State and Local Spending
	1. Georgia	0.30%	0.15%	0.45%	more
	2. Missouri	0.27%	0.21%	0.48%	more
	3. Florida	0.26%	0.30%	0.56%	more
	4. Texas	0.40%	0.17%	0.57%	more
	5. Kansas	0.52%	0.12%	0.65%	more
	6. Louisiana	0.42%	0.24%	0.66%	more
	7. North Carolina	0.17%	0.51%	0.67%	more
	8. South Carolina	0.54%	0.16%	0.70%	more
	9. Alabama	0.49%	0.21%	0.70%	more
	10. Virginia	0.27%	0.44%	0.72%	more
	11. Iowa	0.61%	0.11%	0.72%	more
	12. Mississippi	0.48%	0.25%	0.73%	more
	13. Washington	0.44%	0.29%	0.73%	more
	14. New Mexico	0.63%	0.11%	0.75%	more
	15. Arkansas	0.61%	0.14%	0.75%	more
	16. Nevada	0.41%	0.35%	0.77%	more
	17. Montana	0.58%	0.20%	0.78%	more
	18. Indiana	0.58%	0.20%	0.78%	more
	19. Delaware	0.67%	0.11%	0.79%	more
	20. Wyoming	0.74%	0.08%	0.82%	more
	21. Colorado	0.35%	0.47%	0.82%	more
	22. Utah	0.58%	0.26%	0.85%	more
	23. Idaho	0.75%	0.10%	0.85%	more
	24. North Dakota	0.62%	0.24%	0.86%	more
	25. Illinois	0.58%	0.29%	0.87%	more
	26. Kentucky	0.78%	0.11%	0.89%	more
	27. Nebraska	0.62%	0.29%	0.90%	more
	28. Tennessee	0.74%	0.19%	0.93%	more
	29. Connecticut	0.68%	0.25%	0.93%	more
	30. Oklahoma	0.76%	0.19%	0.95%	more
	31. South Dakota	0.79%	0.17%	0.96%	more
	32. Ohio	0.34%	0.65%	0.98%	more
	33. All states combined	0.54%	0.48%	1.01%	more
	34. New Jersey	0.80%	0.25%	1.06%	more
	35. Maryland	0.76%	0.33%	1.09%	more
	36. New Hampshire	0.66%	0.43%	1.09%	more
	37. Hawaii	0.87%	0.24%	1.11%	more
	38. Michigan	0.89%	0.23%	1.12%	more
	39. Wisconsin	0.44%	0.70%	1.15%	more
	40. Arizona	1.01%	0.14%	1.16%	more
	41. Massachusetts	0.90%	0.31%	1.21%	more
	42. New York	0.21%	1.11%	1.32%	more
	43. West Virginia	1.18%	0.17%	1.35%	more
	44. Pennsylvania	0.71%	0.65%	1.36%	more
	45. Minnesota	0.73%	0.66%	1.39%	more
	46. Alaska	1.17%	0.30%	1.47%	more
	47. California	0.57%	0.94%	1.52%	more
	48. Rhode Island	1.27%	0.31%	1.58%	more
	49. District of Columbia	0.00%	1.91%	1.91%	more
	50. Maine	1.86%	0.25%	2.11%	more
	51. Oregon	2.17%	0.27%	2.44%	more
	52. Vermont	2.32%	0.20%	2.52%	more
Notes: actual estimated Data Sources: State GDP Information Federal: Fed. Budget: Hist. Tables 3.2, 5.1, 7.1 State and Local: State and Local Gov. Finances 'Guesstimated' by projecting the latest change in reported spending forward to future years

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Comparison of State and Local Government Spending in the United States Fiscal Year 2019 Amounts in percent GDP Welfare State State Spending Local Spending State and Local Spending Gross State Product Real State Growth % Population (million) Georgia 0.30 a 0.15 a 0.45 a 646.9 a 3.3 a 10.6 e Missouri 0.27 a 0.21 a 0.48 a 334.4 a 2.1 a 6.1 e Florida 0.26 a 0.30 a 0.56 a 1,128.0 a 2.7 a 21.5 e Texas 0.40 a 0.17 a 0.57 a 1,860.1 a 3.2 a 29.0 e Kansas 0.52 a 0.12 a 0.65 a 176.9 a 0.3 a 2.9 e Louisiana 0.42 a 0.24 a 0.66 a 257.1 a 0.5 a 4.7 e North Carolina 0.17 a 0.51 a 0.67 a 593.1 a 2.1 a 10.5 e South Carolina 0.54 a 0.16 a 0.70 a 248.0 a 2.5 a 5.2 e Alabama 0.49 a 0.21 a 0.70 a 234.5 a 1.9 a 4.9 e Virginia 0.27 a 0.44 a 0.72 a 562.0 a 2.5 a 8.6 e Iowa 0.61 a 0.11 a 0.72 a 196.1 a -0.5 a 3.2 e Mississippi 0.48 a 0.25 a 0.73 a 115.4 a 0.3 a 3.0 e Washington 0.44 a 0.29 a 0.73 a 609.0 a 4.8 a 7.6 e New Mexico 0.63 a 0.11 a 0.75 a 103.9 a 4.5 a 2.1 e Arkansas 0.61 a 0.14 a 0.75 a 132.6 a 0.7 a 3.0 e Nevada 0.41 a 0.35 a 0.77 a 184.3 a 4.2 a 3.1 e Montana 0.58 a 0.20 a 0.78 a 52.8 a 1.7 a 1.1 e Indiana 0.58 a 0.20 a 0.78 a 385.4 a 0.6 a 6.7 e Delaware 0.67 a 0.11 a 0.79 a 78.7 a 5.3 a 1.0 e Wyoming 0.74 a 0.08 a 0.82 a 40.0 a 1.5 a 0.6 e Colorado 0.35 a 0.47 a 0.82 a 397.7 a 5.0 a 5.8 e Utah 0.58 a 0.26 a 0.85 a 201.3 a 5.8 a 3.2 e Idaho 0.75 a 0.10 a 0.85 a 84.6 a 4.6 a 1.8 e North Dakota 0.62 a 0.24 a 0.86 a 60.5 a 1.1 a 0.8 e Illinois 0.58 a 0.29 a 0.87 a 895.8 a 0.8 a 12.7 e Kentucky 0.78 a 0.11 a 0.89 a 220.7 a 2.8 a 4.5 e Nebraska 0.62 a 0.29 a 0.90 a 132.7 a 1.5 a 1.9 e Tennessee 0.74 a 0.19 a 0.93 a 385.8 a 2.1 a 6.8 e Connecticut 0.68 a 0.25 a 0.93 a 285.5 a -0.1 a 3.6 e Oklahoma 0.76 a 0.19 a 0.95 a 205.3 a 1.8 a 4.0 e South Dakota 0.79 a 0.17 a 0.96 a 55.0 a 0.8 a 0.9 e Ohio 0.34 a 0.65 a 0.98 a 703.1 a 2.7 a 11.7 e All states combined 0.54 a 0.48 a 1.01 a 21,540.0 a 2.6 a 328.3 e New Jersey 0.80 a 0.25 a 1.06 a 641.9 a 1.7 a 8.9 e Maryland 0.76 a 0.33 a 1.09 a 419.4 a 0.0 a 6.1 e New Hampshire 0.66 a 0.43 a 1.09 a 87.5 a 2.1 a 1.4 e Hawaii 0.87 a 0.24 a 1.11 a 93.4 a 0.1 a 1.4 e Michigan 0.89 a 0.23 a 1.12 a 537.0 a 0.2 a 10.0 e Wisconsin 0.44 a 0.70 a 1.15 a 347.4 a 1.5 a 5.8 e Arizona 1.01 a 0.14 a 1.16 a 375.5 a 3.8 a 7.3 e Massachusetts 0.90 a 0.31 a 1.21 a 588.6 a 3.2 a 6.9 e New York 0.21 a 1.11 a 1.32 a 1,793.3 a 2.7 a 19.5 e West Virginia 1.18 a 0.17 a 1.35 a 79.9 a -0.8 a 1.8 e Pennsylvania 0.71 a 0.65 a 1.36 a 803.1 a 1.1 a 12.8 e Minnesota 0.73 a 0.66 a 1.39 a 384.0 a 1.1 a 5.6 e Alaska 1.17 a 0.30 a 1.47 a 54.5 a -0.3 a 0.7 e California 0.57 a 0.94 a 1.52 a 3,062.2 a 3.9 a 39.4 e Rhode Island 1.27 a 0.31 a 1.58 a 62.5 a 1.9 a 1.1 e District of Columbia 0.00 a 1.91 a 1.91 a 145.2 a 0.6 a 0.7 e Maine 1.86 a 0.25 a 2.11 a 69.3 a 2.4 a 1.3 e Oregon 2.17 a 0.27 a 2.44 a 248.9 a 2.4 a 4.2 e Vermont 2.32 a 0.20 a 2.52 a 34.6 a 1.2 a 0.6 e Legend: a - actual reported e - out-year estimate in US budget

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Spending Data Sources

Spending data is from official government sources.

• Federal spending data since 1962 comes from the president’s budget.
  
• All other spending data comes from the US Census Bureau.

Gross Domestic Product data comes from US Bureau of Economic Analysis and measuringworth.com.

Detailed table of spending data sources here.
Medicare breakdown here; Medicaid breakdown here.

Federal spending data begins in 1792.

State and local spending data begins in 1820.

State and local spending data for individual states begins in 1957.