Visualized: Which U.S. States Need the Federal Government the Most?

Key Takeaways

• Twenty states—including DC—received more in federal tax returns than they paid through federal taxes in 2024.
• Of these, 11 voted Republican in the last three out of five presidential elections.

❗Data Footnote

This data does not include medicaid payments.

The return on taxes metric measures how much state residents—including businesses—receive in federal payments for every $1 paid in tax to the federal government.

A return greater than $1 means they receive more from the federal government than they give, and vice-versa.

California is a Top “Donor State”

In 2022, California paid $83 billion more in federal taxes than it got back in funding.

California’s low dependency score stems from its many high earners, who contribute a disproportionately large share of federal taxes.

After President Trump threatened to cut education funding for California universities, Governor Newsom tweeted about California’s funding gap, following up with:

“Maybe it’s time to cut that off @realDonaldTrump.”