PlainSpending

About PlainSpending

Our Mission

PlainSpending exists because we believe every taxpayer deserves to understand where federal dollars go - without needing a degree in public finance. The U.S. Department of the Treasury publishes comprehensive federal spending data through USASpending.gov, but the sheer volume and complexity of award records, agency budgets, and program codes makes it difficult for most people to extract meaningful insights.

We built PlainSpending to make federal spending data searchable and comparable at the state, county, and agency level. Our mission is to help citizens, journalists, researchers, and policymakers understand how federal money flows through the economy, who receives it, where it goes, and how spending patterns change over time. Whether you are investigating how much federal grant money your county receives, comparing defense contract spending across states, or tracking a federal agency's budget trends, PlainSpending makes the data accessible in seconds.

We believe that fiscal transparency strengthens democratic accountability. By presenting federal spending data in clear, comparable formats with per capita benchmarks and trend analysis, we help more people engage meaningfully with how their government spends their money.

Our Data Sources

All data on PlainSpending comes from USASpending.gov, the official source for federal spending information maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in compliance with the DATA Act (Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014). USASpending.gov tracks every federal dollar spent, from contracts and grants to loans and direct payments.

  • Award data: Federal contracts, grants, loans, direct payments, and other financial assistance records with recipient details, place of performance, and funding amounts. Accessed via the USASpending.gov API.
  • Agency budgets: Budget authority and obligated amounts by federal agency and sub-agency, with award type breakdowns showing the mix of contracts, grants, and other spending vehicles.
  • Geographic data: Spending aggregated by state and county, with place-of-performance attribution as reported in federal award records.
  • Population data: U.S. Census Bureau population estimates used to compute per capita spending figures for meaningful cross-state and cross-county comparisons.

How We Process the Data

Our methodology begins with downloading fiscal year award data from the USASpending.gov API. We retrieve contracts, grants, loans, and direct payment records and aggregate them by state, county, and federal agency. Per capita figures are computed using Census Bureau population estimates for the corresponding fiscal year, enabling fair comparison between jurisdictions of vastly different sizes.

Spending is attributed to the place of performance as reported in federal award records. Agency profiles show obligated amounts versus budget authority, with breakdowns by award type (contracts, grants, loans, direct payments, and other financial assistance). Multi-year trend data shows how federal spending in each state and agency has evolved over time. We present all dollar amounts as reported by the Treasury without adjustment for inflation or editorializing.

Our approach preserves the Treasury's own categorization and reporting structure. We do not reclassify awards, impute missing geographic data, or make policy judgments about spending priorities. The data is presented as the federal government reports it.

Data Currency

USASpending.gov is updated on a rolling basis as federal agencies report new award actions. Our database reflects the most recent complete fiscal year data available through the USASpending.gov API. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30, for example, FY2025 covers October 2024 through September 2024.

We refresh our database when new fiscal year data is published, typically within weeks of the fiscal year close. In-year updates may lag the current fiscal year by one or more quarters as agencies finalize their reporting. The last updated date is displayed on state and agency pages. Historical trend data extends across multiple fiscal years for long-term analysis.

Editorial Independence & How Content Is Produced

Content on PlainSpending is compiled by our editorial team from official source data. Raw data from public registries and government publications is transformed into readable profiles by our continuous editorial pipeline, then validated against the source before publication. The PlainSpending editorial team is responsible for editorial standards, methodology, and corrections.

We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from brands, agencies, or any covered entity. Our only revenue source is contextual display advertising served by Google AdSense, advertisers do not influence which entities we cover or how we present data, and they do not receive preferential placement.

Limitations and Disclaimers

  • Place-of-performance attribution. Spending is attributed to the location where work is performed, which may differ from where the economic benefit is ultimately received. A defense contract performed in one state may benefit workers who commute from another.
  • Classified and sensitive programs. Some federal programs, particularly in defense, intelligence, and national security, may not be fully represented in USASpending.gov data due to classification requirements.
  • County-level coverage gaps. Not all federal awards include county-level geographic data. Some awards are only reported at the state level, meaning county totals may undercount actual federal spending in those jurisdictions.
  • Nominal dollars. All spending figures are in nominal (current-year) dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Multi-year comparisons should account for the changing purchasing power of the dollar.
  • Not policy analysis. PlainSpending presents spending data without commentary on whether specific spending levels are appropriate, efficient, or effective. We do not make policy recommendations or partisan judgments.

PlainSpending is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, USASpending.gov, or any federal agency. This site is for informational purposes only. We present publicly available government data and do not provide financial, tax, or investment advice.

Contact

Questions, feedback, or data corrections? Reach out at hello@plainspending.com. We welcome suggestions for improving the site and reports of any data discrepancies.