How Much Do States Rely on Federal Funding?

Governing: As Congress debates the budget, states are eagerly waiting to hear how it will affect them.

Updated data from the Census Bureau's 2015 Annual Survey of State Government Finances published last week indicates that federal aid made up nearly a third of all states’ general fund revenues in fiscal year 2015. The single largest line items in states’ budgets include federal funding for transportation, Medicaid and other social assistance programs.

The survey, which provides a detailed portrait of how states generate and spend money, suggests states' reliance on federal money varies greatly. Even larger discrepancies exist across individual areas of state government.

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