Yuba County above state average in federal spending
The federal government spent a little more than $11,000 per person in Yuba County in fiscal 2009, about $1,700 more than the statewide average, says the Census Bureau.
Nationwide, the federal government spent an average of $10,548 per person.
The Census Bureau last week said obligations for federal domestic spending increased 16 percent in fiscal year 2009 to $3.2 trillion.
The annual percentage change was the largest since the Census Bureau began compiling the data in 1983.
The increase is in part from stimulus spending through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Federal spending includes expenditures or obligations for grants, salaries and wages, procurement contracts, direct payments for individuals for retirement and disability, and other direct payments.
In California, federal spending was $9,360 per person. Yuba County was at $11,062.
Colusa and Sutter counties fell below the statewide average at $8,081 and $6,328, respectively.
Federal expenditures in Yuba County totaled $806.7 million, the Census Bureau said.
A little more than one-quarter of that money went for salaries and wages — $229.3 million — due to the presence of Beale Air Force Base in the county.
By contrast, Sutter County had just $17 million in federal wages. Colusa County was at $4.1 million.
States that had the highest per capita federal spending were Alaska ($20,351), Virginia ($19,734) and Hawaii ($19,001).
States with the lowest were Nevada ($7,148), Utah ($7,435) and Georgia ($8,538).
The figures were in the Consolidated Federal Funds Report: 2009, which describes the distribution of federal funds by department and agency, and by state and county.
The report also said:
• The federal government spent $85.8 billion on unemployment compensation in 2009, an increase of 114.6 percent from 2008. Forty states saw increases in unemployment compensation of more than 100 percent. Meanwhile, 27 states allocated more than $1 billion for unemployment compensation.
• In addition to direct expenditures and obligations, the federal government committed $1.9 trillion in direct loans, guaranteed loans and insurance in 2009. Insurance comprised 69.6 percent of that total, including flood insurance ($1.2 trillion), crop insurance ($77.8 billion) and life insurance for veterans ($14.4 billion).
• Medicare and Medicaid per capita obligations were highest in Hawaii ($6,990), Kansas ($4,367) and Wisconsin ($3,544). States that had the lowest were Utah ($1,118), Nevada ($1,216) and Colorado ($1,352).
