Alaska vs California

A 740,133 Census count on a $3.5B construction file

Alaska’s population is 740,133. California’s is 39,431,263. That is about fifty-three Californians for each Alaskan. Alaska’s $3.5B is about 9 percent of California’s $39.5B — a much smaller gap than the Census gap. That is the $532.17 versus $135.64 inversion. Alaska is a small remote-state file with a heavy construction-led obligation load per resident.

Alaska files 25,423 awards. California files 639,340. Alaska’s actions are few. Its dollars per resident are not. The 25,423-row tape sits on $3.5B beside the $532.17 reading. California’s 639,340 rows sit on $39.5B beside $135.64.

Shared construction peaks, opposite intensities

Both states list commercial and institutional building construction as the lead NAICS. A shared label does not explain $532.17 versus $135.64. It means the largest slice in each mix is federal building work, sitting on $3.5B in Alaska and $39.5B in California. Construction awards can be lumpy: facilities, housing, and base work can move a year.

Use the Alaska and California state hubs for agencies and recipients. Cite USAspending.gov. The 25,423 and 639,340 rows include many other NAICS codes. Do not treat the shared peak as an outlay category.

Questions

Does Alaska or California have more federal spending?

California leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $39.5B to Alaska’s $3.5B. Alaska leads spending per capita, $532.17 versus $135.64, on 740,133 residents against California’s 39,431,263. Award counts are 639,340 in California and 25,423 in Alaska. FY2026 obligations are $5.3B in California and $393.9M in Alaska.

Why is Alaska’s per-capita figure so much higher?

The packet reports $532.17 per capita in Alaska on 740,133 residents and $135.64 in California on 39,431,263. Alaska’s $3.5B stock is small in dollars but heavy relative to its Census count. Award counts are 25,423 versus 639,340. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.

Do Alaska and California have the same lead industry?

Yes. Both peak in commercial and institutional building construction. Those labels sit on $3.5B in Alaska and $39.5B in California. Award counts are 25,423 versus 639,340. A shared peak is a mix tag, not evidence that intensity matches. The packet lists USAspending.gov obligations only.

Are Alaska vs California figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $3.5B and $39.5B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $393.9M and $5.3B, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($532.17 vs $135.64) uses Census population where present. Award counts in the packet are all-years totals, not a single fiscal year’s actions.