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.”