PlainSpending

Iowa Federal Spending

$11,432 per resident in FY2025 - low intensity (rank #48).

$36.5B total · $11,432 per capita · FY2025 · Ranked #36 total, #48 per capita · 26.9% below national avg

In FY2025, Iowa received $36.5B in federal spending - $11,432 per capita, ranking #48 among 57 states and 26.9% below the national average. The most common award type is direct payments, accounting for 83.6% of tracked awards. The top spending agency is Social Security Administration.

Iowa · FY2025

Iowa received $36.5B in federal spending in FY2025 - $11,432 per resident, 26.9% below the national average, with direct payments the largest award category.

Total federal spending
$36.5B
#36 of 57 states
Per resident
$11,432
#48 per capita
Latest annual change
+$4.1B
FY2024 to FY2025 (+12.8%)
Top agency
Social Security Administration
$16.6B

Low per-resident intensity

Iowa ranks #47 of 56 by per-capita spending ($11,432) - a light intensity band.

According to USASpending.gov, Iowa received $36.5B in FY2025 ($11,432 per resident; population 3,190,369). Total rank #36 and per-capita rank #48 (26.9% below the $15,647 national average) show volume vs intensity.

Low per-resident intensity still shows a full award-count mix: 20,757 contracts, 5,662 grants, 7,885 loans, and 201,954 direct payments. The most common award type is direct payments at 83.6% of tracked awards in the state, with contracts a distant second at 20,757 awards. Social Security Administration is the single largest federal agency operating in Iowa, with $16.6B in obligations - more than Department of Health and Human Services's $8.1B.

Over the available history, federal spending in Iowa has grown 1.3% from $36.0B in FY2020 to $36.5B in FY2025 - from a below-average intensity baseline. Combined with 99 counties and top recipient IA Department of Human Services at $8.0B, 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) Iowa 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 low-intensity state sits

Total Spending

$36.5B

Rank #36

Per Capita

$11,432

Rank #48

Population

3,190,369

Contract Awards

20,757

Grant Awards

5,662

Total Federal Spending

$36.5B

FY2025 obligations

Per Capita

$11,432

Rank #48

Counties Receiving

99

federal dollars

Top Agency Share

$16.6B

Social Security Administration

Iowa award-type mix by count (FY2025)

Awards83.6%8.6%Direct PaymentsContractsLoansGrantsOther
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.
Iowa per-capita federal spending vs. national average 60.9%
National average

Compared against the national average of $15,647 per resident.

Awards by Type

Direct Payments is the most common award type at 83.6% of tracked awards in Iowa (by count, not dollar value).

Direct Payments 201,954 awards (83.6%)
Contracts 20,757 awards (8.6%)
Loans 7,885 awards (3.3%)
Grants 5,662 awards (2.3%)
Other 5,349 awards (2.2%)

Comparison to National Average

Metric Iowa National Avg Difference
Per Capita Spending $11,432 $15,647 -26.9%
Contracts Share 0.0% - -
Grants Share 0.0% - -

Top Federal Agencies in Iowa

Federal agencies ranked by total spending in Iowa during FY2025.

# Agency Spending % of Total
1 Social Security Administration $16.6B 45.6%
2 Department of Health and Human Services $8.1B 22.2%
3 Department of Defense $2.9B 8.1%
4 Department of Agriculture $2.6B 7.1%
5 Department of Veterans Affairs $1.6B 4.3%
6 Department of Transportation $1.3B 3.6%
7 Department of Education $718.9M 2.0%
8 Department of Housing and Urban Development $519.5M 1.4%
9 Department of Commerce $423.4M 1.2%
10 Department of Energy $315.7M 0.9%

Top Recipients in Iowa

Organizations and entities receiving the most federal funds in Iowa.

# Recipient Total Awards
1 IA Department of Human Services $8.0B
2 Iowa Department of Transportation $1.0B
3 Msm Group North America INC. $635.2M
4 Department of Education Iowa $541.3M
5 Iowa Department Management $418.4M
6 Data Link Solutions LLC $394.4M
7 Iowa Department of Natural Resources $328.4M
8 Economic Development Authority Iowa $308.5M
9 The University of Iowa $282.3M
10 Iowa State University of Science and Technology $281.6M
11 Rockwell Collins, INC. $259.9M
12 American Ordnance LLC $232.7M

Spending Trends

The latest annual comparison is +$4.1B (+12.8%) from FY2024 to FY2025; this is a difference in recorded award obligations, not a claim about cause or local benefit. Federal spending in Iowa increased 1.3% from FY2020 to FY2025.

$30B$32B$34B$36B$38B$40B FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025 $36B
Fiscal Year Total Spending Per Capita Population
FY2025 $36.5B $11,432 3,190,369
FY2024 $32.3B $10,138 3,190,369
FY2023 $30.9B $9,683 3,190,369
FY2022 $30.5B $9,561 3,190,369
FY2021 $37.9B $11,868 3,190,369
FY2020 $36.0B $11,286 3,190,369

Counties in Iowa

99 counties ranked by federal spending in FY2025.

# County Total Spending Per Capita Population
1 Polk County $4.3B $8,689 492,401
2 Linn County $3.3B $14,286 230,299
3 Des Moines County $1.3B $32,702 38,910
4 Scott County $1.1B $6,475 174,669
5 Johnson County $1.1B $7,353 152,854
6 Black Hawk County $922.6M $7,035 131,144
7 Story County $812.5M $8,246 98,537
8 Dubuque County $780.4M $7,862 99,266
9 Woodbury County $706.3M $6,667 105,941
10 Pottawattamie County $672.3M $7,177 93,667
11 Dallas County $502.9M $5,045 99,678
12 Cerro Gordo County $374.1M $8,675 43,127
13 Clinton County $366.3M $7,884 46,460
14 Warren County $342.5M $6,537 52,403
15 Muscatine County $305.3M $7,062 43,235
16 Webster County $291.7M $7,884 36,999
17 Marshall County $282.0M $7,031 40,105
18 Sioux County $275.2M $7,672 35,872
19 Lee County $269.9M $8,044 33,555
20 Jasper County $259.0M $6,849 37,813
21 Plymouth County $256.7M $9,987 25,698
22 Wapello County $249.3M $7,034 35,437
23 Marion County $234.0M $7,002 33,414
24 Bremer County $211.7M $8,474 24,988
25 Benton County $208.7M $8,160 25,575
26 Boone County $198.2M $7,417 26,715
27 Dickinson County $179.5M $10,142 17,703
28 Fayette County $174.9M $8,967 19,509
29 Carroll County $171.1M $8,240 20,760
30 Buchanan County $166.6M $8,100 20,565
31 Winneshiek County $164.2M $8,184 20,070
32 Mahaska County $160.0M $7,211 22,190
33 Washington County $157.8M $6,992 22,565
34 Poweshiek County $155.8M $8,350 18,662
35 Jones County $150.2M $7,276 20,646
36 Cedar County $149.9M $8,098 18,505
37 Hancock County $149.3M $13,829 10,795
38 Kossuth County $148.0M $9,984 14,828
39 Clayton County $143.0M $8,390 17,043
40 Clay County $142.6M $8,705 16,384
41 Jackson County $142.4M $7,310 19,485
42 Tama County $142.2M $8,297 17,135
43 Crawford County $140.7M $8,512 16,525
44 Henry County $132.9M $6,488 20,482
45 Delaware County $132.2M $7,562 17,488
46 Harrison County $131.1M $8,992 14,582
47 Buena Vista County $130.8M $6,283 20,823
48 Hardin County $126.4M $7,491 16,878
49 Jefferson County $126.2M $8,055 15,663
50 Butler County $125.5M $8,754 14,334
51 Floyd County $120.3M $7,700 15,627
52 Iowa County $120.2M $7,214 16,662
53 Shelby County $118.3M $10,075 11,746
54 Mills County $117.4M $8,106 14,484
55 Cherokee County $116.0M $9,951 11,658
56 Madison County $112.8M $6,816 16,548
57 Page County $111.0M $7,299 15,211
58 Allamakee County $110.7M $7,874 14,061
59 Hamilton County $105.9M $7,044 15,039
60 Union County $104.9M $8,638 12,138
61 Chickasaw County $102.7M $8,546 12,012
62 Cass County $100.9M $7,683 13,127
63 Wright County $100.6M $7,776 12,943
64 Guthrie County $99.7M $9,387 10,623
65 Grundy County $99.4M $8,060 12,329
66 Mitchell County $98.4M $9,313 10,565
67 O'Brien County $98.0M $6,911 14,182
68 Franklin County $96.6M $9,637 10,019
69 Sac County $95.0M $9,676 9,814
70 Appanoose County $91.6M $7,434 12,317
71 Winnebago County $89.7M $8,403 10,679
72 Lyon County $86.6M $7,260 11,934
73 Palo Alto County $86.0M $9,555 8,996
74 Monona County $84.1M $9,615 8,751
75 Louisa County $81.3M $7,501 10,837
76 Howard County $79.4M $8,388 9,469
77 Montgomery County $78.5M $7,603 10,330
78 Emmet County $78.3M $8,342 9,388
79 Clarke County $77.6M $7,963 9,748
80 Greene County $76.8M $8,753 8,771
81 Humboldt County $76.2M $7,938 9,597
82 Calhoun County $76.1M $7,668 9,927
83 Keokuk County $75.9M $7,569 10,033
84 Fremont County $71.3M $10,800 6,605
85 Pocahontas County $66.9M $9,456 7,078
86 Adair County $63.1M $8,412 7,496
87 Audubon County $61.4M $10,827 5,674
88 Monroe County $61.3M $8,093 7,577
89 Lucas County $60.5M $7,006 8,634
90 Van Buren County $59.1M $8,207 7,203
91 Worth County $59.1M $7,938 7,443
92 Decatur County $57.7M $7,552 7,645
93 Taylor County $57.4M $9,729 5,896
94 Ida County $55.6M $7,935 7,005
95 Davis County $54.3M $5,956 9,110
96 Osceola County $52.9M $8,549 6,192
97 Wayne County $50.1M $7,704 6,497
98 Ringgold County $37.5M $8,034 4,663
99 Adams County $34.9M $9,428 3,704
DOGE impact for Iowa → Per-capita rankings → Why spending varies by state →

States With Similar Per Capita Spending

States with per capita federal spending closest to Iowa's $11,432.

Arkansas

$11,603 per capita

$34.9B total

Washington

$11,619 per capita

$89.5B total

Puerto Rico

$11,693 per capita

$38.4B total

American Samoa

$11,788 per capita

$586.0M total

Ohio

$10,938 per capita

$129.1B total

Compare Iowa to another state side-by-side →

States with similar total federal spending

Nearest nationwide peers by total obligation volume ($36.5B here) - a different axis from the per-capita neighbors above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Iowa rank nationally in federal spending?

Iowa ranks #48 of 57 on per-capita intensity ($11,432 - a light band) and #36 on absolute volume ($36.5B) in FY2025.

Which federal agencies spend the most in Iowa?

The top federal agency spending in Iowa is Social Security Administration with $16.6B. Followed by Department of Health and Human Services ($8.1B) and Department of Defense ($2.9B).

How much federal spending did Iowa receive in FY2025?

Iowa received $36.5B in total federal spending during Fiscal Year 2025. This equates to $11,432 per capita for the state's population of 3,190,369.

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

Iowa's $11,432 runs 26.9% below the $15,647 national average (rank #48 of 57).

What is the largest category of federal spending in Iowa?

The most common award type is direct payments, accounting for 201,954 awards (83.6% of tracked awards). The second-largest is contracts at 20,757 awards.

How many counties in Iowa receive federal spending?

99 counties in Iowa receive federal spending. The county receiving the most is Polk County with $4.3B.

How has federal spending in Iowa changed over time?

Federal spending in Iowa increased by 1.3% from FY2020 ($36.0B) to FY2025 ($36.5B).

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

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