PlainSpending

North Dakota Federal Spending

$126,315 per resident in FY2025 - high intensity (rank #1).

$98.4B total · $126,315 per capita · FY2025 · Ranked #22 total, #1 per capita · 707.3% above national avg

In FY2025, North Dakota received $98.4B in federal spending - $126,315 per capita, ranking #1 among 57 states and 707.3% above the national average. The most common award type is direct payments, accounting for 84.3% of tracked awards. The top spending agency is Department of Health and Human Services.

North Dakota · FY2025

North Dakota received $98.4B in federal spending in FY2025 - $126,315 per resident, 707.3% above the national average, with direct payments the largest award category.

Total federal spending
$98.4B
#22 of 57 states
Per resident
$126,315
#1 per capita
Latest annual change
+$8.2B
FY2024 to FY2025 (+9.1%)
Top agency
Dept. of Health and Human Services
$89.7B

High per-resident intensity

North Dakota ranks #1 of 56 by per-capita federal spending ($126,315).

According to USASpending.gov, North Dakota received $98.4B in FY2025 ($126,315 per resident; population 779,094). Total rank #22 and per-capita rank #1 (707.3% above the $15,647 national average) show volume vs intensity.

High per-resident intensity shapes the award-count mix: 3,595 contracts, 3,451 grants, 3,217 loans, and 72,712 direct payments. The most common award type is direct payments at 84.3% of tracked awards in the state, with contracts a distant second at 3,595 awards. Department of Health and Human Services is the single largest federal agency operating in North Dakota, with $89.7B in obligations - more than Social Security Administration's $3.4B.

Over the available history, federal spending in North Dakota has grown 7.5% from $91.5B in FY2020 to $98.4B in FY2025 - against an already above-average intensity band. Combined with 53 counties and top recipient North Dakota Department of Human Services at $1.4B, the trail shows whether the heavy intensity is still rising.

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) North Dakota 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 high-intensity state sits

Total Spending

$98.4B

Rank #22

Per Capita

$126,315

Rank #1

Population

779,094

Contract Awards

3,595

Grant Awards

3,451

Total Federal Spending

$98.4B

FY2025 obligations

Per Capita

$126,315

Rank #1

Counties Receiving

53

federal dollars

Top Agency Share

$89.7B

Department of Health and Human

North Dakota award-type mix by count (FY2025)

Awards84.3%Direct PaymentsContractsGrantsOtherLoans
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.
North Dakota per-capita federal spending vs. national average 83.3%
National average

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

Awards by Type

Direct Payments is the most common award type at 84.3% of tracked awards in North Dakota (by count, not dollar value).

Direct Payments 72,712 awards (84.3%)
Contracts 3,595 awards (4.2%)
Grants 3,451 awards (4.0%)
Other 3,294 awards (3.8%)
Loans 3,217 awards (3.7%)

Comparison to National Average

Metric North Dakota National Avg Difference
Per Capita Spending $126,315 $15,647 +707.3%
Contracts Share 0.0% - -
Grants Share 0.0% - -

Top Federal Agencies in North Dakota

Federal agencies ranked by total spending in North Dakota during FY2025.

# Agency Spending % of Total
1 Department of Health and Human Services $89.7B 91.1%
2 Social Security Administration $3.4B 3.5%
3 Department of Agriculture $2.4B 2.5%
4 Department of Transportation $650.1M 0.7%
5 Department of Veterans Affairs $507.0M 0.5%
6 Department of Defense $402.1M 0.4%
7 Department of Education $308.3M 0.3%
8 Department of the Interior $293.6M 0.3%
9 Environmental Protection Agency $152.6M 0.2%
10 Department of Housing and Urban Development $128.3M 0.1%

Top Recipients in North Dakota

Organizations and entities receiving the most federal funds in North Dakota.

# Recipient Total Awards
1 North Dakota Department of Human Services $1.4B
2 Basin Electric Power Cooperative $628.1M
3 North Dakota Department of Transportation $527.7M
4 Minnkota Power Cooperative, INC. $314.5M
5 Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC $236.1M
6 North Dakota Department of Public Instruction $194.1M
7 North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality $142.0M
8 North Dakota Department of Commerce $98.0M
9 Three Affiliated Tribes $88.0M
10 Standing Rock Sioux Tribe $72.6M
11 North Dakota State University $63.3M
12 University of North Dakota $59.7M
13 Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians $58.8M

Spending Trends

The latest annual comparison is +$8.2B (+9.1%) from FY2024 to FY2025; this is a difference in recorded award obligations, not a claim about cause or local benefit. Federal spending in North Dakota increased 7.5% from FY2020 to FY2025.

$60B$70B$80B$90B$100B FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025 $98B
Fiscal Year Total Spending Per Capita Population
FY2025 $98.4B $126,315 779,094
FY2024 $90.2B $115,782 779,094
FY2023 $82.0B $105,254 779,094
FY2022 $70.9B $91,051 779,094
FY2021 $76.3B $97,900 779,094
FY2020 $91.5B $117,466 779,094

Counties in North Dakota

53 counties ranked by federal spending in FY2025.

# County Total Spending Per Capita Population
1 Cass County $89.3B $483,874 184,525
2 Burleigh County $1.5B $15,671 98,458
3 Grand Forks County $973.0M $13,298 73,170
4 Ward County $571.0M $8,166 69,919
5 Stutsman County $252.2M $11,682 21,593
6 Morton County $246.5M $7,403 33,291
7 Rolette County $203.2M $16,670 12,187
8 Williams County $201.2M $4,914 40,950
9 Stark County $190.1M $5,649 33,646
10 Richland County $167.5M $10,136 16,529
11 Sioux County $148.2M $38,019 3,898
12 Ramsey County $148.0M $12,750 11,605
13 Mclean County $146.3M $14,975 9,771
14 Mckenzie County $135.5M $9,218 14,704
15 Benson County $124.3M $20,844 5,964
16 Mountrail County $115.6M $11,782 9,809
17 Barnes County $115.2M $10,613 10,853
18 Pembina County $106.1M $15,502 6,844
19 Traill County $101.6M $12,705 7,997
20 Walsh County $100.2M $9,489 10,563
21 Bottineau County $98.0M $15,362 6,379
22 Cavalier County $96.7M $26,116 3,704
23 Mercer County $69.3M $8,296 8,350
24 Wells County $67.3M $16,894 3,982
25 Ransom County $66.0M $11,566 5,703
26 Mchenry County $63.1M $11,813 5,345
27 Dickey County $62.8M $12,569 4,999
28 Burke County $55.3M $25,124 2,201
29 Nelson County $54.8M $18,169 3,015
30 Pierce County $53.7M $13,464 3,990
31 Lamoure County $53.6M $13,084 4,093
32 Sargent County $53.5M $13,847 3,862
33 Adams County $51.1M $23,248 2,200
34 Emmons County $50.7M $15,346 3,301
35 Dunn County $45.8M $11,189 4,095
36 Billings County $38.7M $40,921 945
37 Divide County $35.7M $16,267 2,195
38 Mcintosh County $35.0M $13,832 2,530
39 Towner County $34.6M $16,023 2,162
40 Bowman County $33.7M $11,243 2,993
41 Kidder County $33.6M $14,035 2,394
42 Griggs County $33.5M $14,548 2,306
43 Steele County $31.7M $17,633 1,798
44 Grant County $31.0M $13,452 2,301
45 Renville County $29.7M $12,998 2,282
46 Eddy County $29.2M $12,425 2,347
47 Foster County $27.2M $8,008 3,397
48 Oliver County $27.1M $14,419 1,877
49 Hettinger County $25.0M $10,049 2,489
50 Sheridan County $22.1M $17,500 1,265
51 Logan County $16.2M $8,662 1,876
52 Slope County $13.5M $19,079 706
53 Golden Valley County $13.0M $7,476 1,736
DOGE impact for North Dakota → Per-capita rankings → Why spending varies by state →

States With Similar Per Capita Spending

States with per capita federal spending closest to North Dakota's $126,315.

U.S. Virgin Islands

$123,194 per capita

$10.7B total

District Of Columbia

$70,928 per capita

$48.9B total

Connecticut

$42,600 per capita

$153.6B total

Minnesota

$42,425 per capita

$242.1B total

Kentucky

$38,460 per capita

$173.3B total

Compare North Dakota to another state side-by-side →

States with similar total federal spending

Nearest nationwide peers by total obligation volume ($98.4B here) - a different axis from the per-capita neighbors above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does North Dakota rank nationally in federal spending?

North Dakota ranks #1 of 57 on per-capita intensity ($126,315) and #22 on absolute volume ($98.4B) in FY2025.

Which federal agencies spend the most in North Dakota?

The top federal agency spending in North Dakota is Department of Health and Human Services with $89.7B. Followed by Social Security Administration ($3.4B) and Department of Agriculture ($2.4B).

How much federal spending did North Dakota receive in FY2025?

North Dakota received $98.4B in total federal spending during Fiscal Year 2025. This equates to $126,315 per capita for the state's population of 779,094.

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

North Dakota's $126,315 runs 707.3% above the $15,647 national average (rank #1 of 57).

What is the largest category of federal spending in North Dakota?

The most common award type is direct payments, accounting for 72,712 awards (84.3% of tracked awards). The second-largest is contracts at 3,595 awards.

How many counties in North Dakota receive federal spending?

53 counties in North Dakota receive federal spending. The county receiving the most is Cass County with $89.3B.

How has federal spending in North Dakota changed over time?

Federal spending in North Dakota increased by 7.5% from FY2020 ($91.5B) to FY2025 ($98.4B).

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

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