The U.S. states are the most dependent on the federal government than any other country in the world. Montana, Delaware, and Alaska are the most dependent states in the country according to a recent study.
A new study from WalletHub examines the most-dependent states on the federal government. The results? Mississippi, Alabama, and West Virginia are the states with the strongest reliance on a federal program or a federal grant. On the other hand, the most-independent states are Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. Whether you’re a fan of the federal government or not, this study sheds some light on how to best get your state’s financial aid.
Some people are so dependent on the government that they can’t remember the last time they paid taxes. In fact, some don’t even realize when they receive a federal tax refund. But it’s not a good idea to get too dependent on the government.
With more and more states receiving federal support for the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are beginning to wonder exactly how much federal support the states are receiving. The problem became especially apparent after AP News discovered that New York received less than $24,000 in federal aid for every positive case out of the first $150 billion in federal aid. For comparison: Alaska received more than $3.3 million for each positive case. The attention this decision has drawn is just one example of how Americans are scrutinizing government assistance programs. Despite this research, the number of Americans dependent on public assistance was actually declining before the pandemic. 2 / 52 Olivier Le Moal / Getty
Valuation under condition
Nevertheless, the media have continued to pay attention to the fairness of the distribution of financial aid among states. WalletHub recently conducted a survey to determine the size of the gap between the states with the most and least government support. WalletHubt compared the states based on the state’s dependence on government and its citizens’ dependence on government assistance. Their full methodology can be found here. Below is the ranking from least to most dependent. Read on to find out how it’s done in your state. 3 / 52 Tiago_Fernandez / iStock
50. Kansas
- General Assessment: 10.62
- Dependency of residents of the state: 39
- Dependence on state government : 49
4 / 52 aimintang
49. New Jersey
- General Assessment: 13.68
- Dependency of residents of the state: 49
- Dependence on state government : 42
5 / 52 mdgmorris
48. Delaware
- General Assessment: 15.66
- Dependency of residents of the state: 50
- Dependence on state government : 40
6 / 52 Robby_SixtyTwo
47. Utah
- General Assessment: 19.42
- Dependency of residents of the state: 36
- Dependence on state government : 44
7 / 52 JoeChristensen
46. Iowa
- General Assessment: 20.53
- Dependency of residents of the state: 31
- Dependence on state government : 45
8 / 52 Rolf_52
45. Massachusetts
- General Assessment: 20.99
- Dependency of residents of the state: 47
- Dependence on state government : 38
9 / 52 4nadia
44. Washington
- General Assessment: 21.97
- Dependency of residents of the state: 42
- Dependence on state government : 39
10 / 52 venemama / iStock
43. Illinois
- General Assessment: 24.01
- Dependency of residents of the state: 48
- Dependence on state government : 37
11 / 52 DenisTangneyJr
42. Connecticut
- General Assessment: 25.41
- Dependency of residents of the state: 19
- Dependence on state government : 46
12 / 52 ABEMOS / iStock
41. Virginia
- General Assessment: 25.59
- Dependency of residents of the state: 13
- Dependence on state government : 50
13 / 52 JoeChristensen
40. Minnesota
- General Assessment: 25.66
- Dependency of residents of the state: 25
- Dependence on state government : 41
14 / 52 Marekulasch
39. Nebraska
- General Assessment: 27.93
- Dependency of residents of the state: 43
- Dependence on state government : 32
15 / 52 mlauffen
38. California
- General Assessment: 27.93
- Dependency of residents of the state: 44
- Dependence on state government : 31
16 / 52 Jakob Boomsma / iStock
37. Colorado
- General Assessment: 28.5
- Dependency of residents of the state: 41
- Dependence on state government : 36
17 / 52 DenisTangneyJr
36. New Hampshire
- General Assessment: 32.03
- Dependency of residents of the state: 37
- Dependence on state government : 29
18 / 52 earleliason
35. Texas
- General Assessment: 32.05
- Dependency of residents of the state: 40
- Dependence on state government : 28
19 / 52 Elisa.
34. Florida
- General Assessment: 32.24
- Dependency of residents of the state: 30
- Dependence on state government : 34
20 / 52 Art Vager.
33. Hawaii
- General Assessment: 32.55
- Dependency of residents of the state: 9
- Dependence on state government : 48
21 / 52 dyptica
32. Ohio
- General Assessment: 33.96
- Dependency of residents of the state: 45
- Dependence on state government : 16
22 / 52 Byelikova_Oksana / iStock
31. Nevada
- General Assessment: 35.23
- Dependency of residents of the state: 32
- Dependence on state government : 25
23 / 52 Darwin Brandis.
30. North Carolina
- General Assessment: 35.36
- Dependency of residents of the state: 34
- Dependence on state government : 24
24 / 52 danlogan
29. Rhode Island
- General Assessment: 35.44
- Dependency of residents of the state: 35
- Dependence on state government : 22
25 / 52 FierceAbin
28. Wisconsin
- General Assessment: 35.92
- Dependency of residents of the state: 15
- Dependence on state government : 43
26 / 52 havesa
27. Michigan
- General Assessment: 35.95
- Dependency of residents of the state: 28
- Dependence on state government : 27
27 / 52 DepositPhotos.com
26. New York
- General Assessment: 36.33
- Dependency of residents of the state: 46
- Dependence on state government : 14
28 / 52 SeanPavonePhoto
25. Georgia
- General Assessment: 37.31
- Dependency of residents of the state: 33
- Dependence on state government : 19
29 / 52 HaizhanZheng
24. Oregon
- General Assessment: 37.38
- Dependency of residents of the state: 26
- Dependence on state government : 26
30 / 52 knowlesgallery
23. Idaho
- General Assessment: 37.74
- Dependency of residents of the state: 21
- Dependence on state government : 33
31 / 52 DepositPhotos.com
22. Oklahoma
- General Assessment: 39.91
- Dependency of residents of the state: 20
- Dependence on state government : 30
32 / 52 RiverNorthPhotography
21. South Dakota
- General Assessment: 41.07
- Dependency of residents of the state: 23
- Dependence on state government : 21
33 / 52 Rdlamkin
20. Arkansas
- General Assessment: 41.56
- Dependency of residents of the state: 38
- Dependence on state government : 13
34 / 52 James_Lane
19. Maryland
- General Assessment: 41.88
- Dependency of residents of the state: 16
- Dependence on state government : 35
35 / 52 consistent5
18. North Dakota
- General Assessment: 44.17
- Dependency of residents of the state: 3
- Dependence on state government : 47
36 / 52 DenisTangneyJr
17. Vermont
- General Assessment: 45.13
- Dependency of residents of the state: 18
- Dependence on state government : 23
37 / 52 DepositPhotos.com
16. Missouri
- General Assessment: 47.52
- Dependence on the residents of the state : 29
- Dependence on state government : 10
38 / 52 AppalachianViews
15. Pennsylvania
- General Assessment: 47.8
- Dependency of residents of the state: 17
- Dependence on state government : 20
39 / 52 NathanMerrill
14. Tennessee
- General Assessment: 52.81
- Dependency of residents of the state: 22
- Dependence on state government : 9
40 / 52 DepositPhotos.com
13. Maine
- General Assessment: 53.8
- Dependency of residents of the state: 12
- Dependence on state government : 18
41 / 52 AnujSahaiPhotography
12. Wyoming
- General Assessment: 58.14
- Dependency of residents of the state: 24
- Dependence on state government : 5
42 / 52 Sean Pavone
11. Alabama
- General Assessment: 59.36
- Dependency of residents of the state: 11
- Dependence on state government : 15
43 / 52 DenisTangneyJr
10. Louisiana
- General Assessment: 62.45
- Dependency of residents of the state: 27
- Dependence on state government : 1
44 / 52 DepositPhotos.com
9. South Carolina
- General Assessment: 67.36
- Dependency of residents of the state: 6
- Dependence on state government : 17
45 / 52 f11Photo
8. Indiana
- General Assessment: 69.96
- Dependency of residents of the state: 8
- Dependence on state government : 11
46 / 52 wanderlust
7. Arizona
- General Assessment: 70.33
- Dependency of residents of the state: 10
- Dependence on state government : 7
47 / 52 YinYang
6. Montana
- General Assessment: 73.87
- Dependency of residents of the state: 14
- Dependence on state government : 2
48 / 52 iStock
5. West Virginia
- General Assessment: 75.36
- Dependency of residents of the state: 2
- Dependence on state government : 12
49 / 52 Thomas Kelly
4. Kentucky
- General Assessment: 80.78
- Dependency of residents of the state: 5
- Dependence on state government : 8
50 / 52 DepositPhotos.com
3. Mississippi
- General Assessment: 83.94
- Dependency of residents of the state: 7
- Dependence on state government : 3
51 / 52 julof90
2. Alaska
- General Assessment: 84.23
- Dependency of residents of the state: 4
- Dependence on state government : 4
52 / 52 DepositPhotos.com
1. New Mexico
- General Assessment: 86.57
- Dependency of residents of the state: 1
- Dependence on state government : 6
relating to : AlertMe 
Caitlin Farley
Caitlin Farley is a writer/editor at MediaFeed. She is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern University, specializing in social justice and investigative journalism. She has worked at several radio stations and news outlets, reporting on higher education, local politics, natural disasters, and investigations into Title IX and transparency. Last Modification: 11. May 2021
About the author / Caitlin Farley
Caitlin Farley is a writer/editor at MediaFeed. She is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern University, specializing in social justice and investigative journalism. She has worked at several radio stations and news outlets, reporting on higher education, local politics, natural disasters, and investigations and reporting on Title IX and transparency.Most readers know the federal government is the largest source of state and local government funding, but do you know how reliant each state is on the feds? Check out these facts: GDP per Capita: The full unemployment rate is not always the best measure of the health of a state or local economy; sometimes a much more accurate indicator is the number of people employed by state and local governments. It’s no secret that state and local government employment is on the rise. Many state and local governments are hiring teachers, police officers, firefighters and other employees who live in their communities to help them meet the needs of their residents.. Read more about why do red states receive more welfare and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which states rely most on federal aid 2020?
The future of government spending is coming into focus as the 2020 elections approach. Many Democrats are pushing for an increase in social welfare spending while Republicans want to decrease it. Study after study shows that the more money the government spends, the more money it takes from taxpayers. This has led to a number of great studies about where the most federal aid goes. The number of people using food stamps has risen steadily since the start of the recession, but as of 2015, the program still only covers about one in five Americans. This gives us a good look at which states rely the most on federal aid, and where they’re getting the most help.
Which states rely on federal aid?
Ever wondered which states have the most federal aid? Well, after some research, I found that the top three were: California, New York, and Maryland. California, despite it’s well-known budget problems, receives $55 billion in federal aid. New York is the third most dependent state with $104.5 billion in federal aid. Maryland is the fourth most dependent with $96.6 billion in federal aid. For many states, the economy is heading the wrong direction. To help them through tough times, the federal government provides grants and loans to assist in various types of programs and initiatives. As some states continue to slip, others—usually those with growth—are seeing a boost in their revenue. The states that depend the most on federal aid are:
Are red states more federally dependent?
After the last election cycle, there has been much talk about the Republican Party being a “red state” party, while the Democratic Party is a “blue state” party. Some argue that red states are less dependent on the federal government than their blue counterparts, while others argue that there is not much difference between blue and red states. It has long been known that the national debt is not spread evenly among the states, but has long been thought to be a function of the state’s population and economic status. However, a recent analysis shows that the distribution is determined by a combination of factors including the value of natural resources owned by the state, the share of population that is of age 65 or over, and the average use of government services.
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