PlainSpending

Delaware Federal Spending

$12.2B in FY2025 - a thin absolute book (rank #49 of 56).

$12.2B total · $12,366 per capita · FY2025 · Ranked #49 total, #38 per capita · 20.8% below national avg

In FY2025, Delaware received $12.2B in federal spending - $12,366 per capita, ranking #38 among 56 states and 20.8% below the national average. The most common award type is contracts, accounting for 41.0% of tracked awards. The top spending agency is Social Security Administration.

Delaware · FY2025

Delaware received $12.2B in federal spending in FY2025 - $12,366 per resident, 20.8% below the national average, with contracts the largest award category.

Total federal spending
$12.2B
#49 of 56 states
Per resident
$12,366
#38 per capita
Latest annual change
+$1.1B
FY2024 to FY2025 (+9.5%)
Top agency
Social Security Administration
$6.5B

Thin absolute federal book

Delaware is a light absolute book: #49 of 56 with $12.2B.

According to USASpending.gov, Delaware carried a thin absolute federal book of $12.2B in FY2025 ($12,366 per resident; population 989,948). Total-dollar rank #49 is a light absolute footprint; per-capita rank #38 sits 20.8% below the national average.

Low per-resident intensity still shows a full award-count mix: 5,192 contracts, 2,426 grants, 982 loans, and 3,467 direct payments. The most common award type is contracts at 41.0% of tracked awards in the state, with direct payments a distant second at 3,467 awards. Social Security Administration is the single largest federal agency operating in Delaware, with $6.5B in obligations - more than Department of Health and Human Services's $2.8B.

Over the available history, federal spending in Delaware has grown 2.2% from $12.0B in FY2020 to $12.2B in FY2025 - from a below-average intensity baseline. Combined with 3 counties and top recipient Health and Social Services, Delaware Dept Of at $2.3B, the trail shows whether the light intensity is closing the gap.

Figures are award-transaction data from USASpending.gov (U.S. Department of the Treasury). See our methodology for per-capita denominators and award categories.

Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) + System for Award Management (SAM) Delaware 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.

Where this thin absolute book sits

Total Spending

$12.2B

Rank #49

Per Capita

$12,366

Rank #38

Population

989,948

Contract Awards

5,192

Grant Awards

2,426

Total Federal Spending

$12.2B

FY2025 obligations

Per Capita

$12,366

Rank #38

Counties Receiving

3

federal dollars

Top Agency Share

$6.5B

Social Security Administration

Delaware award-type mix by count (FY2025)

Awards41%27.4%19.2%ContractsDirect PaymentsGrantsLoansOther
Per-state share of tracked federal awards BY COUNT across major OMB-aligned award types (not a dollar-value breakdown). Mandatory-vs-discretionary marker reflects the entitlement-vs-appropriated split.
Delaware per-capita federal spending vs. national average 66.0%
National average

Compared against the national average of $15,622 per resident.

Awards by Type

Contracts is the most common award type at 41.0% of tracked awards in Delaware (by count, not dollar value).

Contracts 5,192 awards (41.0%)
Direct Payments 3,467 awards (27.4%)
Grants 2,426 awards (19.2%)
Loans 982 awards (7.8%)
Other 593 awards (4.7%)

Comparison to National Average

Metric Delaware National Avg Difference
Per Capita Spending $12,366 $15,622 -20.8%
Contracts Share 0.0% - -
Grants Share 0.0% - -

Fiscal Resilience Score

A single derived score summarizing how diversified and stable Delaware's federal funding mix is, built from four signals already in this page.

C-
Fiscal Resilience Score
53/100
Delaware

A transparent derived index from USASpending.gov federal award data, not an official government rating. It measures how diversified and stable Delaware's federal funding mix is across award types, agencies, and fiscal years, not whether that funding is well or poorly spent. Full formula and benchmark table: methodology.

Award-Type Mix A
71%
Diversification across contract/grant/loan/direct-payment/other award counts
Agency Mix F
64%
Diversification of obligated dollars across federal agencies operating in-state
Per-Capita Norm C
21% from avg
Distance of per-resident federal spending from the national average
Funding Stability D
8.2% CV
Year-over-year spending volatility across 6 fiscal years

Top Federal Agencies in Delaware

Federal agencies ranked by total spending in Delaware during FY2025.

# Agency Spending % of Total
1 Social Security Administration $6.5B 52.7%
2 Department of Health and Human Services $2.8B 22.6%
3 Department of Veterans Affairs $692.2M 5.7%
4 Department of Agriculture $467.1M 3.8%
5 Department of Transportation $367.7M 3.0%
6 Environmental Protection Agency $291.6M 2.4%
7 Department of Education $270.3M 2.2%
8 Department of Defense $238.4M 1.9%
9 Department of Housing and Urban Development $189.7M 1.5%
10 Department of Energy $119.2M 1.0%

Top Recipients in Delaware

Organizations and entities receiving the most federal funds in Delaware.

# Recipient Total Awards
1 Health and Social Services, Delaware Dept Of $2.3B
2 Transportation, Delaware Department Of $322.2M
3 Department of Education Delaware $240.5M
4 Executive Office of the Governor of Delaware $224.9M
5 University of Delaware $207.4M
6 State of Delaware, Dnrec $143.6M
7 Diamond State Port $127.5M
8 Diamond State Port Corporation $127.5M
9 Delaware Department of Health && Social Services $80.3M
10 Health and Social Services, Department Of $69.9M
11 Delaware Department of Health and Social Services $55.7M
12 Delaware State University $47.6M
13 Wilimington Housing Authority $43.2M
14 Delaware National Guard $37.9M

Spending Trends

The latest annual comparison is +$1.1B (+9.5%) from FY2024 to FY2025; this is a difference in recorded award obligations, not a claim about cause or local benefit. Federal spending in Delaware increased 2.2% from FY2020 to FY2025.

$9B$10B$11B$12B$13B$14B FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025 $12B
Fiscal Year Total Spending Per Capita Population
FY2025 $12.2B $12,366 989,948
FY2024 $11.2B $11,295 989,948
FY2023 $11.1B $11,166 989,948
FY2022 $10.3B $10,359 989,948
FY2021 $13.2B $13,348 989,948
FY2020 $12.0B $12,097 989,948

Counties in Delaware

3 counties ranked by federal spending in FY2025.

# County Total Spending Per Capita Population
1 New Castle County $4.3B $7,519 570,719
2 Sussex County $2.8B $11,718 237,378
3 Kent County $1.8B $10,011 181,851
DOGE impact for Delaware → Per-capita rankings → Why spending varies by state →

States With Similar Per Capita Spending

States with per capita federal spending closest to Delaware's $12,366.

New Hampshire

$12,356 per capita

$17.0B total

North Carolina

$12,400 per capita

$129.4B total

Idaho

$12,406 per capita

$22.8B total

California

$12,283 per capita

$485.6B total

Michigan

$12,538 per capita

$126.3B total

Compare Delaware to another state side-by-side →

States with similar total federal spending

Nearest nationwide peers by total obligation volume ($12.2B here) - a different axis from the per-capita neighbors above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much federal spending did Delaware receive in FY2025?

Delaware received a thin absolute book of $12.2B in FY2025 ($12,366 per capita; population 989,948).

What is the largest category of federal spending in Delaware?

The most common award type is contracts, accounting for 5,192 awards (41.0% of tracked awards). The second-largest is direct payments at 3,467 awards.

How has federal spending in Delaware changed over time?

Federal spending in Delaware increased by 2.2% from FY2020 ($12.0B) to FY2025 ($12.2B).

How does Delaware's federal spending per capita compare to the national average?

Delaware's $12,366 runs 20.8% below the $15,622 national average (rank #38 of 56).

Where does Delaware rank nationally in federal spending?

Delaware ranks #38 of 56 on per-capita intensity ($12,366 - a light band) and #49 on absolute volume ($12.2B) in FY2025.

Which federal agencies spend the most in Delaware?

The top federal agency spending in Delaware is Social Security Administration with $6.5B. Followed by Department of Health and Human Services ($2.8B) and Department of Veterans Affairs ($692.2M).

How many counties in Delaware receive federal spending?

3 counties in Delaware receive federal spending. The county receiving the most is New Castle County with $4.3B.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and presented.

Verify with USASpending.gov → Verify population with U.S. Census Bureau →