Montana vs Virginia

One point two billion dollars vs $110.8B

USAspending.gov obligations, not Treasury outlays, put Montana at $1.2B and Virginia at $110.8B. Virginia’s stock is about 89 times Montana’s. Award counts are 21,487 versus 1,116,647. Montana’s file is a thin set of actions stretched across a huge map.

Federal construction on bases, labs, and land-management sites can move a $1.2B total without filling a Virginia-sized row count. The 21,487 awards are the count that matches that geography better than any metaphor about wide-open space.

Per capita $187.18 is Montana’s offset

Divide $1.2B by 1,137,233 residents and Montana lands at $187.18 per capita — above several more populous states in this set, still far below Virginia’s $1,344.24 on 8,811,195 people. A small denominator lifts the per-person rate. It does not close a $1.2B versus $110.8B gap.

Readers who only rank by total dollars will bury Montana. Readers who rank by per person will still put Virginia first, but they will see Montana as more intensively booked than its headline total suggests.

Montana’s 1,137,233 residents and 21,487 awards describe a sparse construction file. The $187.18 per-capita rate on that small denominator is the offset to a $1.2B headline; Virginia still leads at $1,344.24 on 8,811,195 residents and $110.8B. Commercial and institutional building construction versus other computer related services is mix. FY2026’s $212.9M versus $11.8B is a large share of Montana’s stack, consistent with lumpy facilities work. Land area is not in the table. Census population is. USAspending.gov obligations are the unit, not acres managed and not Treasury outlays.

Questions

How much federal spending is in Montana vs Virginia?

Montana has $1.2B in USAspending.gov obligations and 21,487 awards; Virginia has $110.8B and 1,116,647 awards. Spending per capita is $187.18 versus $1,344.24 on populations of 1,137,233 and 8,811,195. FY2026 obligations are $212.9M and $11.8B. These are obligations, not Treasury outlays. Those figures remain USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance, not Treasury outlays and not a score of which state deserves more work.

Why is Montana’s per-capita figure higher than some larger states?

Montana’s $187.18 per capita uses $1.2B in obligations and only 1,137,233 residents. A small population lifts the per-person rate even when the headline total is $1.2B. Virginia still leads at $1,344.24 on 8,811,195 residents and $110.8B in obligations. Those figures remain USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance, not Treasury outlays and not a score of which state deserves more work.

What is Montana’s top industry vs Virginia’s?

Montana’s top industry is commercial and institutional building construction. Virginia’s is other computer related services. Those slices sit on $1.2B and $110.8B in obligations and on 21,487 vs 1,116,647 awards. Construction and computer services are different federal customers. Those figures remain USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance, not Treasury outlays and not a score of which state deserves more work.

Are Montana vs Virginia numbers outlays?

No. They are obligations from USAspending.gov. Treasury outlays are cash payments and can lag on multi-year construction. The $1.2B and $110.8B totals and FY2026 amounts of $212.9M and $11.8B measure commitments by place of performance. Those figures remain USAspending.gov obligations by place of performance, not Treasury outlays and not a score of which state deserves more work.