Total Federal Spending
$129.4B
FY2025 obligations
North Carolina Federal Spending
$129.4B in FY2025 federal spending, $12,400 per capita.
$129.4B total · $12,400 per capita · FY2025 · Ranked #13 total, #38 per capita · 20.8% below national avg
In FY2025, North Carolina received $129.4B in federal spending - $12,400 per capita, ranking #38 among 57 states and 20.8% below the national average. The most common award type is contracts, accounting for 65.6% of tracked awards. The top spending agency is Social Security Administration.
North Carolina · FY2025
North Carolina received $129.4B in federal spending in FY2025 - $12,400 per resident, 20.8% below the national average, with contracts the largest award category.
- Total federal spending
- $129.4B
- #13 of 57 states
- Per resident
- $12,400
- #38 per capita
- Counties receiving funds
- 100
- place of performance
- Top agency
- Social Security Administration
- $55.7B
According to USASpending.gov, the official federal award-transaction dataset, the federal government directed $129.4B to North Carolina in FY2025, translating to $12,400 per resident across a population of 10,439,388. That per-capita figure is 20.8% below the $15,647 national average and ranks North Carolina #38 of 57 states per capita, while total-dollar rank is #13, illustrating the difference between volume of federal dollars and intensity of federal dependence.
The award-type mix shows how federal awards break down in North Carolina by count: 201,572 contracts, 13,159 grants, 19,162 loans, and 64,840 direct payments. The most common award type is contracts at 65.6% of tracked awards in the state, with direct payments a distant second at 64,840 awards. Social Security Administration is the single largest federal agency operating in North Carolina, with $55.7B in obligations - more than Department of Health and Human Services's $33.3B.
Over the available history, federal spending in North Carolina has grown 23.0% from $105.2B in FY2020 to $129.4B in FY2025. Combined with 100 counties receiving dollars and top recipient North Carolina Department of Health && Human Services at $31.3B, this snapshot lets readers judge whether North Carolina'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) North Carolina 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
$129.4B
Rank #13
Per Capita
$12,400
Rank #38
Population
10,439,388
Contract Awards
201,572
Grant Awards
13,159
Per Capita
$12,400
Rank #38
Counties Receiving
100
federal dollars
Top Agency Share
$55.7B
Social Security Administration
North Carolina award-type mix by count (FY2025)
North Carolina per-capita federal spending vs. national average 66.0%
National average
Compared against the national average of $15,647 per resident.
Awards by Type
Contracts is the most common award type at 65.6% of tracked awards in North Carolina (by count, not dollar value).
Contracts 201,572 awards (65.6%)
Direct Payments 64,840 awards (21.1%)
Loans 19,162 awards (6.2%)
Grants 13,159 awards (4.3%)
Other 8,599 awards (2.8%)
Comparison to National Average
| Metric | North Carolina | National Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Capita Spending | $12,400 | $15,647 | -20.8% |
| Contracts Share | 0.0% | - | - |
| Grants Share | 0.0% | - | - |
Top Federal Agencies in North Carolina
Federal agencies ranked by total spending in North Carolina during FY2025.
| # | Agency | Spending | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Security Administration | $55.7B | 43.0% |
| 2 | Department of Health and Human Services | $33.3B | 25.8% |
| 3 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $10.8B | 8.4% |
| 4 | Department of Defense | $6.2B | 4.8% |
| 5 | Department of Agriculture | $5.9B | 4.5% |
| 6 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | $2.9B | 2.2% |
| 7 | Department of Education | $2.8B | 2.2% |
| 8 | Department of Transportation | $2.8B | 2.1% |
| 9 | Department of Homeland Security | $2.4B | 1.8% |
| 10 | Environmental Protection Agency | $1.8B | 1.4% |
| 11 | General Services Administration | $1.0B | 0.8% |
Top Recipients in North Carolina
Organizations and entities receiving the most federal funds in North Carolina.
| # | Recipient | Total Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Department of Health && Human Services | $31.3B |
| 2 | North Carolina Department of Public Instruction | $2.0B |
| 3 | Transportation North Carolina Department | $2.0B |
| 4 | Ashbritt INC | $1.7B |
| 5 | Department of Information Technology | $1.5B |
| 6 | North Carolina Department of Public Safety | $1.5B |
| 7 | Department of Commerce North Carolina | $1.5B |
| 8 | North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality | $1.2B |
| 9 | Duke University | $759.6M |
| 10 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $643.4M |
| 11 | Research Triangle Institute | $583.4M |
| 12 | North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources | $466.7M |
| 13 | Family Health International | $336.4M |
| 14 | North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission | $332.2M |
| 15 | North Carolina State University | $323.2M |
| 16 | Booz Allen Hamilton INC | $268.2M |
| 17 | Caci Nss, LLC | $218.8M |
| 18 | General Dynamics Information Technology, INC. | $203.8M |
| 19 | Wake Forest University Health Sciences | $200.6M |
Spending Trends
Federal spending in North Carolina increased 23.0% from FY2020 to FY2025.
| Fiscal Year | Total Spending | Per Capita | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $129.4B | $12,400 | 10,439,388 |
| FY2024 | $109.2B | $10,460 | 10,439,388 |
| FY2023 | $100.9B | $9,664 | 10,439,388 |
| FY2022 | $98.7B | $9,453 | 10,439,388 |
| FY2021 | $118.1B | $11,309 | 10,439,388 |
| FY2020 | $105.2B | $10,082 | 10,439,388 |
Counties in North Carolina
100 counties ranked by federal spending in FY2025.
| # | County | Total Spending | Per Capita | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake County | $12.9B | $11,428 | 1,129,410 |
| 2 | Durham County | $6.1B | $18,868 | 324,833 |
| 3 | Mecklenburg County | $5.8B | $5,240 | 1,115,482 |
| 4 | Cumberland County | $4.3B | $12,871 | 334,728 |
| 5 | Guilford County | $4.1B | $7,579 | 541,299 |
| 6 | Buncombe County | $3.6B | $13,420 | 269,452 |
| 7 | Forsyth County | $2.9B | $7,451 | 382,590 |
| 8 | Onslow County | $2.4B | $11,691 | 204,576 |
| 9 | Brunswick County | $2.2B | $15,745 | 136,693 |
| 10 | New Hanover County | $2.0B | $8,720 | 225,702 |
| 11 | Gaston County | $1.6B | $6,974 | 227,943 |
| 12 | Craven County | $1.5B | $14,860 | 100,720 |
| 13 | Orange County | $1.5B | $10,041 | 148,696 |
| 14 | Iredell County | $1.5B | $7,826 | 186,693 |
| 15 | Johnston County | $1.5B | $6,735 | 215,999 |
| 16 | Henderson County | $1.4B | $11,875 | 116,281 |
| 17 | Union County | $1.3B | $5,561 | 238,267 |
| 18 | Catawba County | $1.3B | $7,792 | 160,610 |
| 19 | Cabarrus County | $1.2B | $5,453 | 225,804 |
| 20 | Pitt County | $1.2B | $6,895 | 170,243 |
| 21 | Davidson County | $1.1B | $6,779 | 168,930 |
| 22 | Alamance County | $1.1B | $6,612 | 171,415 |
| 23 | Moore County | $1.1B | $11,276 | 99,727 |
| 24 | Rowan County | $1.1B | $7,449 | 146,875 |
| 25 | Randolph County | $965.9M | $6,700 | 144,171 |
| 26 | Robeson County | $961.4M | $8,250 | 116,530 |
| 27 | Rutherford County | $957.7M | $14,861 | 64,444 |
| 28 | Harnett County | $901.8M | $6,751 | 133,568 |
| 29 | Wayne County | $882.7M | $7,523 | 117,333 |
| 30 | Haywood County | $808.1M | $13,016 | 62,089 |
| 31 | Nash County | $759.6M | $7,998 | 94,970 |
| 32 | Cleveland County | $754.7M | $7,583 | 99,519 |
| 33 | Mcdowell County | $741.7M | $16,638 | 44,578 |
| 34 | Rockingham County | $732.6M | $8,042 | 91,096 |
| 35 | Carteret County | $710.7M | $10,500 | 67,686 |
| 36 | Chatham County | $649.7M | $8,517 | 76,285 |
| 37 | Wilson County | $645.5M | $8,193 | 78,784 |
| 38 | Burke County | $628.6M | $7,178 | 87,570 |
| 39 | Lincoln County | $615.5M | $7,090 | 86,810 |
| 40 | Watauga County | $585.3M | $10,821 | 54,086 |
| 41 | Caldwell County | $581.3M | $7,208 | 80,652 |
| 42 | Wilkes County | $572.4M | $8,677 | 65,969 |
| 43 | Lee County | $532.3M | $8,411 | 63,285 |
| 44 | Pasquotank County | $521.3M | $12,851 | 40,568 |
| 45 | Pender County | $501.4M | $8,329 | 60,203 |
| 46 | Surry County | $490.4M | $6,872 | 71,359 |
| 47 | Hoke County | $472.9M | $9,080 | 52,082 |
| 48 | Lenoir County | $463.4M | $8,407 | 55,122 |
| 49 | Franklin County | $459.1M | $6,695 | 68,573 |
| 50 | Stanly County | $453.9M | $7,262 | 62,504 |
| 51 | Transylvania County | $443.3M | $13,438 | 32,986 |
| 52 | Columbus County | $442.3M | $8,738 | 50,623 |
| 53 | Beaufort County | $439.8M | $9,849 | 44,652 |
| 54 | Sampson County | $412.0M | $6,980 | 59,036 |
| 55 | Ashe County | $409.2M | $15,398 | 26,577 |
| 56 | Halifax County | $404.1M | $8,311 | 48,622 |
| 57 | Granville County | $389.3M | $6,383 | 60,992 |
| 58 | Duplin County | $386.4M | $7,932 | 48,715 |
| 59 | Richmond County | $385.8M | $8,983 | 42,946 |
| 60 | Edgecombe County | $384.0M | $7,852 | 48,900 |
| 61 | Vance County | $365.7M | $8,588 | 42,578 |
| 62 | Stokes County | $357.4M | $8,027 | 44,520 |
| 63 | Dare County | $353.0M | $9,562 | 36,915 |
| 64 | Macon County | $348.4M | $9,414 | 37,014 |
| 65 | Davie County | $338.4M | $7,923 | 42,712 |
| 66 | Cherokee County | $327.5M | $11,380 | 28,774 |
| 67 | Polk County | $311.6M | $16,122 | 19,328 |
| 68 | Person County | $290.1M | $7,420 | 39,097 |
| 69 | Jackson County | $283.7M | $6,582 | 43,109 |
| 70 | Bladen County | $283.7M | $9,582 | 29,606 |
| 71 | Yadkin County | $266.8M | $7,170 | 37,214 |
| 72 | Scotland County | $266.0M | $7,783 | 34,174 |
| 73 | Currituck County | $257.9M | $9,179 | 28,100 |
| 74 | Mitchell County | $256.7M | $17,227 | 14,903 |
| 75 | Alexander County | $254.0M | $6,969 | 36,444 |
| 76 | Yancey County | $212.0M | $11,476 | 18,470 |
| 77 | Martin County | $191.1M | $8,676 | 22,031 |
| 78 | Madison County | $184.8M | $8,719 | 21,193 |
| 79 | Swain County | $181.6M | $12,867 | 14,117 |
| 80 | Montgomery County | $176.1M | $6,838 | 25,751 |
| 81 | Northampton County | $173.3M | $9,921 | 17,471 |
| 82 | Caswell County | $171.5M | $7,545 | 22,736 |
| 83 | Anson County | $169.5M | $7,685 | 22,055 |
| 84 | Hertford County | $163.2M | $7,571 | 21,552 |
| 85 | Warren County | $161.1M | $8,641 | 18,642 |
| 86 | Avery County | $152.6M | $8,569 | 17,806 |
| 87 | Chowan County | $150.5M | $10,980 | 13,708 |
| 88 | Bertie County | $149.0M | $8,310 | 17,934 |
| 89 | Pamlico County | $147.4M | $12,008 | 12,276 |
| 90 | Clay County | $131.0M | $11,810 | 11,089 |
| 91 | Greene County | $129.6M | $6,338 | 20,451 |
| 92 | Perquimans County | $127.7M | $9,819 | 13,005 |
| 93 | Jones County | $124.3M | $13,553 | 9,172 |
| 94 | Alleghany County | $117.1M | $10,755 | 10,888 |
| 95 | Washington County | $99.2M | $9,016 | 11,003 |
| 96 | Camden County | $88.2M | $8,516 | 10,355 |
| 97 | Gates County | $87.2M | $8,327 | 10,478 |
| 98 | Graham County | $82.8M | $10,309 | 8,030 |
| 99 | Hyde County | $42.9M | $9,349 | 4,589 |
| 100 | Tyrrell County | $23.0M | $7,089 | 3,245 |
Explore North Carolina Federal Spending
Go deeper on North Carolina's federal footprint.
DOGE Impact for North Carolina
Reported federal contract and grant terminations, claimed savings, per-capita impact, and state ranking.
DOGE state impact →
Per-Capita Rankings
Where North Carolina 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 North Carolina's $12,400.
What this means
North Carolina ranks #38 of 57 states by FY2025 per-capita federal spending.
- Per-capita spending is 20.8% 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 43.0% of every dollar tracked in North Carolina. Agency rankings
- 100 counties in North Carolina 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 North Carolina receive in FY2025?
North Carolina received $129.4B in total federal spending during Fiscal Year 2025. This equates to $12,400 per capita for the state's population of 10,439,388.
How does North Carolina's federal spending per capita compare to the national average?
North Carolina's per capita federal spending of $12,400 is 20.8% below the national average of $15,647. North Carolina ranks #38 out of 57 states by per capita spending.
What is the largest category of federal spending in North Carolina?
The most common award type is contracts, accounting for 201,572 awards (65.6% of tracked awards). The second-largest is direct payments at 64,840 awards.
Which federal agencies spend the most in North Carolina?
The top federal agency spending in North Carolina is Social Security Administration with $55.7B. Followed by Department of Health and Human Services ($33.3B) and Department of Veterans Affairs ($10.8B).
How many counties in North Carolina receive federal spending?
100 counties in North Carolina receive federal spending. The county receiving the most is Wake County with $12.9B.
How has federal spending in North Carolina changed over time?
Federal spending in North Carolina increased by 23.0% from FY2020 ($105.2B) to FY2025 ($129.4B).
Where does North Carolina rank nationally in federal spending?
North Carolina ranks #13 out of 57 states in total federal spending and #38 in per capita spending. The state received $129.4B total ($12,400 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.