California vs Iowa

A $127.17 reading next to $135.64

Iowa’s Census count of 3,241,488 is about 8 percent of California’s 39,431,263. Iowa’s $3.8B is about 10 percent of California’s $39.5B. Those shares are close enough that per capita of $127.17 versus $135.64 is a near pairing, unlike most California comparisons in this slice. California still leads on intensity, barely. It leads on dollars by a wide margin.

Iowa files 48,706 awards. California files 639,340. Iowa’s row count is about 8 percent of California’s, in line with population and a bit below the dollar share. The Corn Belt tape is neither sparse nor California-scale. Cite USAspending.gov.

Broadcast and wireless equipment versus federal buildings

Iowa’s lead NAICS is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing. California’s lead NAICS is commercial and institutional building construction. A communications-equipment peak on $3.8B is a different federal buying pattern than a facilities peak on $39.5B. The packet names those peaks; it does not give shares.

Use the California and Iowa state hubs for agencies and recipients. The 48,706 and 639,340 rows include many other NAICS codes. Do not treat the equipment peak as an outlay category.

Questions

Does California or Iowa have more federal spending?

California leads stacked USAspending.gov obligations $39.5B to Iowa’s $3.8B. Spending per capita is close: $135.64 in California versus $127.17 in Iowa, on 39,431,263 residents against 3,241,488. Award counts are 639,340 in California and 48,706 in Iowa. FY2026 obligations are $5.3B in California and $412.2M in Iowa.

Is Iowa’s per-capita figure near California’s?

The packet reports $127.17 per capita in Iowa on 3,241,488 residents and $135.64 in California on 39,431,263. That is a close intensity pairing on very different stocks of $3.8B versus $39.5B. Award counts are 48,706 versus 639,340. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not outlays.

What industries lead in California and Iowa?

California’s top industry is commercial and institutional building construction. Iowa’s is radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing. Those labels are the largest NAICS slices on $39.5B and $3.8B. Award counts are 639,340 in California and 48,706 in Iowa.

Are California vs Iowa figures Treasury outlays?

No. The $39.5B and $3.8B totals, and FY2026 amounts of $5.3B and $412.2M, are USAspending.gov obligations. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Spending per capita ($135.64 vs $127.17) uses Census population where present. Award counts in the packet are all-years totals, not a single fiscal year’s actions.