California vs Maryland
Federal spending comparison
California accounts for $39.5B in USAspending.gov obligations; Maryland accounts for $30.1B. The dollar race is closer than the population race: California has 39,431,263 residents, Maryland 6,263,220. Spending per capita therefore flips — $315.60 in Maryland versus $135.64 in California. Award counts are 639,340 versus 229,316. California’s top industry is commercial and institutional building construction; Maryland’s is other computer related services. FY2026 obligations are $5.3B and $2.0B. Maryland’s 229,316 awards versus California’s 639,340 still sit on a $30.1B file, not a rounding error.
Key figures
- California $39.5B vs Maryland $30.1B in USAspending obligations.
- Per capita $135.64 vs $315.60 on 39,431,263 vs 6,263,220 residents.
- Awards: 639,340 vs 229,316; FY2026 $5.3B vs $2.0B.
- Top industries: commercial and institutional building construction (CA) vs other computer related services (MD).
- Figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
Maryland’s $315.60 vs California’s $135.64
Spending per capita is $135.64 in California and $315.60 in Maryland. That intensity ranking does not have to match the stacked dollar ranking of $39.5B versus $30.1B. When people (39,431,263 vs 6,263,220) diverge faster or slower than obligations, per capita flips. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance, not Treasury outlays. Cash payments can lag award dates. Headquarters can differ from the state coded on the award.
Maryland’s $30.1B is a major file that still trails California’s $39.5B while leading intensity. Intensity is stacked obligations divided by Census counts. It is not FY2026 alone. It is not GDP. It is not a household check.
Construction on the West Coast, computer services in Maryland
Award counts are 639,340 in California and 229,316 in Maryland. Rows can follow dollars, follow people, or follow neither. A flip pair often shows that third path. Other computer related services on 229,316 Maryland awards is a services peak next to commercial and institutional building construction on 639,340 California awards. Mix and intensity both favor reading Maryland as more than a smaller California.
California’s top industry is commercial and institutional building construction. Maryland’s top industry is other computer related services. Mix can help explain a heavier typical action, but it does not compute $135.64 or $315.60. Those ratios are arithmetic on $39.5B, $30.1B, 39,431,263, and 6,263,220.
Full analysis: California vs Maryland on USAspending: $39.5B vs $30.1B →
Questions
- Which has more federal spending, California or Maryland?
- California shows $39.5B in USAspending.gov obligations; Maryland shows $30.1B. Award counts are 639,340 and 229,316. Populations are 39,431,263 and 6,263,220. Spending per capita is $135.64 versus $315.60. FY2026 obligations are $5.3B and $2.0B. These are obligations, not Treasury outlays. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
- What industries lead California and Maryland federal awards?
- California’s top industry is commercial and institutional building construction. Maryland’s top industry is other computer related services. Those slices sit on $39.5B and $30.1B in USAspending.gov obligations and on 639,340 versus 229,316 awards. They mark the largest grouping in each file, not every award.
- How do California and Maryland compare on spending per capita?
- Spending per capita is $135.64 in California on 39,431,263 residents and $315.60 in Maryland on 6,263,220 residents. Those ratios use stacked USAspending.gov obligations of $39.5B and $30.1B, not FY2026 alone and not GDP. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
- Are California vs Maryland figures Treasury outlays?
- No. The $39.5B and $30.1B stacked totals, and FY2026 amounts of $5.3B and $2.0B, are USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance. Outlays are cash payments and can lag. Award counts are 639,340 and 229,316. These figures are USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays.
State comparison from SpendingVault aggregates of USAspending obligations. Per-capita uses Census population where present.
| California | Metric | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| $222.27B | Total Spending | $32.61B |
| $6K | Per Capita | $5K |
| N/A | % of GDP | N/A |
| 39.4M | Population | 6.3M |
| N/A | Median Income | N/A |
| N/A | Poverty Rate | N/A |
| N/A | Bachelor Degree % | N/A |
| N/A | Median Age | N/A |
| N/A | Unemployment | N/A |
| N/A | GDP (Millions) | N/A |
Top Agencies — California
- Department of Health and Human Services$961.70B
- Social Security Administration$397.49B
- Department of Defense$301.91B
- Department of Energy$116.54B
- Department of Agriculture$85.61B
Top Agencies — Maryland
- Department of Health and Human Services$143.01B
- Department of Defense$137.15B
- Social Security Administration$75.40B
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration$24.26B
- Department of Veterans Affairs$20.55B
Top Industries — California
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES$84.92B
- AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING$48.92B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)$45.14B
- DIRECT HEALTH AND MEDICAL INSURANCE CARRIERS$42.95B
- COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS$37.36B
Top Industries — Maryland
- ENGINEERING SERVICES$35.96B
- COMPUTER SYSTEMS DESIGN SERVICES$35.19B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY)$24.11B
- OTHER COMPUTER RELATED SERVICES$20.25B
- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT BIOTECHNOLOGY)$13.06B
Source: USAspending.gov · More Comparisons · California · Maryland