Total Federal Spending
$70.2B
FY2025 obligations
Colorado Federal Spending
$70.2B in FY2025 federal spending, $12,155 per capita.
$70.2B total · $12,155 per capita · FY2025 · Ranked #27 total, #42 per capita · 22.3% below national avg
In FY2025, Colorado received $70.2B in federal spending - $12,155 per capita, ranking #42 among 57 states and 22.3% below the national average. The most common award type is direct payments, accounting for 41.4% of tracked awards. The top spending agency is Social Security Administration.
Colorado · FY2025
Colorado received $70.2B in federal spending in FY2025 - $12,155 per resident, 22.3% below the national average, with direct payments the largest award category.
- Total federal spending
- $70.2B
- #27 of 57 states
- Per resident
- $12,155
- #42 per capita
- Counties receiving funds
- 64
- place of performance
- Top agency
- Social Security Administration
- $24.6B
According to USASpending.gov, the official federal award-transaction dataset, the federal government directed $70.2B to Colorado in FY2025, translating to $12,155 per resident across a population of 5,773,714. That per-capita figure is 22.3% below the $15,647 national average and ranks Colorado #42 of 57 states per capita, while total-dollar rank is #27, illustrating the difference between volume of federal dollars and intensity of federal dependence.
The award-type mix shows how federal awards break down in Colorado by count: 47,532 contracts, 9,888 grants, 11,527 loans, and 51,516 direct payments. The most common award type is direct payments at 41.4% of tracked awards in the state, with contracts a distant second at 47,532 awards. Social Security Administration is the single largest federal agency operating in Colorado, with $24.6B in obligations - more than Department of Health and Human Services's $14.2B.
Over the available history, federal spending in Colorado has grown 8.8% from $64.5B in FY2020 to $70.2B in FY2025. Combined with 64 counties receiving dollars and top recipient State of Colorado -- Dept of Health Care Policy && Financing at $10.0B, this snapshot lets readers judge whether Colorado's federal footprint is expanding, stable, or being scaled back relative to FY2025.
It helps to read state totals through two different lenses. Total dollars measure the raw volume of federal money flowing into a state, which naturally favors larger and more populous states. Per-capita spending measures intensity, how much federal money lands per resident, and it surfaces smaller states whose economies lean heavily on federal installations, contracts, or transfer payments. The two rankings often disagree, which is exactly why both appear above. The award mix matters too: contracts signal procurement of goods and services, grants flow to universities, nonprofits, and local governments, and direct payments include programs such as Social Security and Medicare that scale with population. Every figure comes from USASpending.gov, the federal spending-transparency system the U.S. Treasury has operated since the DATA Act of 2014. Federal outlays exceeded $7.0 trillion in fiscal year 2025 (CBO Monthly Budget Review), and these are official government records rather than estimates, though late-posted and corrected awards can adjust a state's totals after the year closes. Our methodology details the per-capita denominator, the award categories, and the data vintage.
Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) + System for Award Management (SAM) Colorado federal awards (contracts, grants, loans, direct payments) for FY2025 · 2025 USAspending.gov publishes award-level data within ~30 days of obligation; categories follow OMB Object Class Codes. Per-capita metrics use Census ACS population estimates as the denominator.
Key Statistics
Total Spending
$70.2B
Rank #27
Per Capita
$12,155
Rank #42
Population
5,773,714
Contract Awards
47,532
Grant Awards
9,888
Per Capita
$12,155
Rank #42
Counties Receiving
64
federal dollars
Top Agency Share
$24.6B
Social Security Administration
Colorado award-type mix by count (FY2025)
Colorado per-capita federal spending vs. national average 64.7%
National average
Compared against the national average of $15,647 per resident.
Awards by Type
Direct Payments is the most common award type at 41.4% of tracked awards in Colorado (by count, not dollar value).
Direct Payments 51,516 awards (41.4%)
Contracts 47,532 awards (38.2%)
Loans 11,527 awards (9.3%)
Grants 9,888 awards (8.0%)
Other 3,901 awards (3.1%)
Comparison to National Average
| Metric | Colorado | National Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Capita Spending | $12,155 | $15,647 | -22.3% |
| Contracts Share | 0.0% | - | - |
| Grants Share | 0.0% | - | - |
Top Federal Agencies in Colorado
Federal agencies ranked by total spending in Colorado during FY2025.
| # | Agency | Spending | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Security Administration | $24.6B | 35.0% |
| 2 | Department of Health and Human Services | $14.2B | 20.2% |
| 3 | Department of Defense | $9.8B | 14.0% |
| 4 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $6.2B | 8.9% |
| 5 | Department of Agriculture | $4.2B | 6.0% |
| 6 | Department of Energy | $1.8B | 2.6% |
| 7 | Department of Transportation | $1.8B | 2.5% |
| 8 | Department of Education | $1.3B | 1.9% |
| 9 | Department of Commerce | $1.2B | 1.7% |
| 10 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $1.1B | 1.5% |
| 11 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1.0B | 1.5% |
Top Recipients in Colorado
Organizations and entities receiving the most federal funds in Colorado.
| # | Recipient | Total Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State of Colorado -- Dept of Health Care Policy && Financing | $10.0B |
| 2 | Lockheed Martin CORP | $3.1B |
| 3 | Sierra Nevada Company, LLC | $2.1B |
| 4 | Department of Human Services Colorado | $2.0B |
| 5 | Colorado Department of Transportation | $1.1B |
| 6 | Alliance for Energy Innovation, LLC | $895.0M |
| 7 | The Governors Office of Information Technology | $821.8M |
| 8 | Board of Education Colorado | $789.5M |
| 9 | Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, INC. | $624.0M |
| 10 | Davita INC. | $532.7M |
| 11 | V3GATE, LLC | $531.8M |
| 12 | Colorado State University | $525.3M |
| 13 | United Launch Services, LLC | $497.0M |
| 14 | The Regents of the University of Colorado | $407.3M |
| 15 | Bechtel National, INC. | $386.7M |
| 16 | Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies | $363.7M |
Spending Trends
Federal spending in Colorado increased 8.8% from FY2020 to FY2025.
| Fiscal Year | Total Spending | Per Capita | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $70.2B | $12,155 | 5,773,714 |
| FY2024 | $63.5B | $11,001 | 5,773,714 |
| FY2023 | $61.5B | $10,652 | 5,773,714 |
| FY2022 | $59.4B | $10,285 | 5,773,714 |
| FY2021 | $70.2B | $12,158 | 5,773,714 |
| FY2020 | $64.5B | $11,173 | 5,773,714 |
Counties in Colorado
64 counties ranked by federal spending in FY2025.
| # | County | Total Spending | Per Capita | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Paso County | $9.3B | $12,676 | 730,395 |
| 2 | Denver County | $7.6B | $10,593 | 715,522 |
| 3 | Jefferson County | $6.3B | $10,803 | 582,910 |
| 4 | Douglas County | $5.2B | $14,587 | 357,978 |
| 5 | Adams County | $4.7B | $9,121 | 519,572 |
| 6 | Arapahoe County | $4.4B | $6,663 | 655,070 |
| 7 | Boulder County | $3.2B | $9,749 | 330,758 |
| 8 | Larimer County | $3.1B | $8,602 | 359,066 |
| 9 | Weld County | $1.9B | $5,741 | 328,981 |
| 10 | Pueblo County | $1.5B | $9,023 | 168,162 |
| 11 | Mesa County | $1.3B | $8,336 | 155,703 |
| 12 | La Plata County | $466.2M | $8,380 | 55,638 |
| 13 | Broomfield County | $408.5M | $5,512 | 74,112 |
| 14 | Fremont County | $378.2M | $7,727 | 48,939 |
| 15 | Montrose County | $355.0M | $8,319 | 42,679 |
| 16 | Garfield County | $311.6M | $5,051 | 61,685 |
| 17 | Delta County | $279.5M | $8,959 | 31,196 |
| 18 | Montezuma County | $251.0M | $9,709 | 25,849 |
| 19 | Eagle County | $242.9M | $4,358 | 55,731 |
| 20 | Teller County | $228.7M | $9,257 | 24,710 |
| 21 | Routt County | $199.6M | $8,041 | 24,829 |
| 22 | Grand County | $190.3M | $12,110 | 15,717 |
| 23 | Elbert County | $181.3M | $6,958 | 26,062 |
| 24 | Las Animas County | $168.7M | $11,593 | 14,555 |
| 25 | Clear Creek County | $166.2M | $17,689 | 9,397 |
| 26 | Chaffee County | $160.7M | $8,249 | 19,476 |
| 27 | Morgan County | $159.7M | $5,487 | 29,111 |
| 28 | Logan County | $158.3M | $7,351 | 21,528 |
| 29 | Park County | $144.6M | $8,314 | 17,390 |
| 30 | Archuleta County | $137.6M | $10,297 | 13,359 |
| 31 | Otero County | $135.7M | $7,258 | 18,690 |
| 32 | Alamosa County | $134.3M | $8,199 | 16,376 |
| 33 | Summit County | $127.6M | $4,110 | 31,055 |
| 34 | Moffat County | $105.0M | $7,896 | 13,292 |
| 35 | Rio Grande County | $100.9M | $8,741 | 11,539 |
| 36 | Prowers County | $96.5M | $8,040 | 11,999 |
| 37 | Pitkin County | $94.5M | $5,442 | 17,358 |
| 38 | Yuma County | $92.9M | $9,304 | 9,988 |
| 39 | Gunnison County | $90.4M | $5,344 | 16,918 |
| 40 | Huerfano County | $79.5M | $11,650 | 6,820 |
| 41 | Kit Carson County | $76.0M | $10,727 | 7,087 |
| 42 | Custer County | $64.6M | $13,730 | 4,704 |
| 43 | Ouray County | $60.3M | $12,376 | 4,874 |
| 44 | Washington County | $51.4M | $10,672 | 4,817 |
| 45 | Phillips County | $51.3M | $11,318 | 4,530 |
| 46 | Bent County | $51.0M | $9,023 | 5,650 |
| 47 | Conejos County | $50.8M | $6,804 | 7,461 |
| 48 | Rio Blanco County | $50.3M | $7,706 | 6,529 |
| 49 | Lake County | $45.4M | $6,104 | 7,436 |
| 50 | San Miguel County | $44.6M | $5,530 | 8,072 |
| 51 | Saguache County | $42.9M | $6,743 | 6,368 |
| 52 | Baca County | $42.7M | $12,169 | 3,506 |
| 53 | Lincoln County | $39.6M | $6,985 | 5,675 |
| 54 | Costilla County | $38.3M | $10,959 | 3,499 |
| 55 | Gilpin County | $36.1M | $6,224 | 5,808 |
| 56 | San Juan County | $27.9M | $39,580 | 705 |
| 57 | Mineral County | $24.2M | $27,994 | 865 |
| 58 | Crowley County | $24.0M | $4,048 | 5,922 |
| 59 | Sedgwick County | $23.2M | $9,665 | 2,404 |
| 60 | Kiowa County | $23.2M | $16,023 | 1,446 |
| 61 | Cheyenne County | $22.7M | $13,008 | 1,748 |
| 62 | Dolores County | $17.6M | $7,572 | 2,326 |
| 63 | Jackson County | $8.0M | $5,823 | 1,379 |
| 64 | Hinsdale County | $6.7M | $8,523 | 788 |
Explore Colorado Federal Spending
Go deeper on Colorado's federal footprint.
DOGE Impact for Colorado
Reported federal contract and grant terminations, claimed savings, per-capita impact, and state ranking.
DOGE state impact →
Per-Capita Rankings
Where Colorado ranks among all states for federal spending per resident.
Top Federal Agencies
The agencies that move the most money nationwide, by obligated amount.
Federal Spending Guides
Learn more about how federal spending works and how to interpret this data.
Understanding Federal Spending
Contracts, grants, loans, and how federal money flows to states and communities.
Why Spending Varies by State
Military bases, federal labs, population, and per capita analysis.
Where Does Federal Money Go?
Mandatory vs. discretionary, top agencies, and biggest programs.
How Federal Contracts Are Awarded
Procurement process, contract types, and small business set-asides.
States With Similar Per Capita Spending
States with per capita federal spending closest to Colorado's $12,155.
What this means
Colorado ranks #42 of 57 states by FY2025 per-capita federal spending.
- Per-capita spending is 22.3% below the national average -- a structural signal, not a claim about efficiency or need. Per-capita rankings
- Social Security Administration is the single largest federal agency operating here, obligating 35.0% of every dollar tracked in Colorado. Agency rankings
- 64 counties in Colorado receive federal dollars -- the county-level pages break down exactly where. See counties
Per-capita and national-average figures use each state's most recent Census population estimate against the same FY total; they describe HOW money is distributed, not whether that distribution is justified.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much federal spending did Colorado receive in FY2025?
Colorado received $70.2B in total federal spending during Fiscal Year 2025. This equates to $12,155 per capita for the state's population of 5,773,714.
How does Colorado's federal spending per capita compare to the national average?
Colorado's per capita federal spending of $12,155 is 22.3% below the national average of $15,647. Colorado ranks #42 out of 57 states by per capita spending.
What is the largest category of federal spending in Colorado?
The most common award type is direct payments, accounting for 51,516 awards (41.4% of tracked awards). The second-largest is contracts at 47,532 awards.
Which federal agencies spend the most in Colorado?
The top federal agency spending in Colorado is Social Security Administration with $24.6B. Followed by Department of Health and Human Services ($14.2B) and Department of Defense ($9.8B).
How many counties in Colorado receive federal spending?
64 counties in Colorado receive federal spending. The county receiving the most is El Paso County with $9.3B.
How has federal spending in Colorado changed over time?
Federal spending in Colorado increased by 8.8% from FY2020 ($64.5B) to FY2025 ($70.2B).
Where does Colorado rank nationally in federal spending?
Colorado ranks #27 out of 57 states in total federal spending and #42 in per capita spending. The state received $70.2B total ($12,155 per person) in FY2025.
Data Sources
- USASpending.gov: Federal spending data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Fiscal Year: FY2025
- Award types: Contracts, grants, loans, direct payments, and other financial assistance
- Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimates used for per capita calculations
- Budget context: Agency totals cross-referenced with OMB Program and Financial Schedules where applicable
Spending figures represent obligated amounts from federal awards. Per capita calculations use Census population estimates. This information is for research and informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and presented.
Every figure on PlainSpending is computed directly from USASpending.gov award-transaction data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates every county-level federal award within the state, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.