State Spending Leaderboards

All 50 states ranked by how they spend your money. $2.4 trillion in combined state budgets — who spends the most?

Official Data — Rankings use FY2023-24 state budget data from NASBO, Census Bureau, and individual state budget documents. Public Opinion — Click reactions to share your view on each state's spending.

Public Opinion

How the public rates state spending — based on anonymous reactions

No reactions yet!

Be the first — head to the States page and react to any state's spending.

Congress Opinion

How the public rates Congress members — based on anonymous reactions

No reactions yet!

Be the first — head to the Congress page and react to any member.

Spending Rankings

Hard data — states ranked by official budget figures FY2023-24

Budget Balance

States ranked by budget surplus or deficit (Revenue − Spending)

All figures are approximate FY2023-24 data sourced from the National Association of State Budget Officers, US Census Bureau, and individual state budget documents. Per capita figures are based on estimated 2024 population. Higher spending does not necessarily indicate waste — states with larger populations, higher costs of living, or greater infrastructure needs will naturally spend more.