Rankings
Top recipients of federal money: FY2021
FY2021 · complete year · data as of 2026-07-12
≈ computed · all obligations
California Department of Health Care Services received more federal money than any other recipient in FY2021: $80.6B across contracts, grants, direct payments and loans. Every federal dollar obligated to a recipient, whatever form it took. State health agencies and universities dominate this list precisely because entitlement and research money dwarfs procurement. Computed
Ranked from USASpending records. FY2020 to FY2026 are loaded. Rank vs FY2020 is each name's change in position from FY2020; a dash means the name was not in FY2020's data.
Quick findings
Computed- The top 10 account for 31% of the $1.3T combined total of all 100 recipients listed.
- State of Georgia rose the most, from #1015 in FY2020 to #65 in FY2021.
- Governor's Authorized Representative fell the most among those listed, from #19 in FY2020 to #71 in FY2021.
| Rank | Name | FY2021 | FY2020 | Change | Rank vs FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | California Department of Health Care Services1 funding agency | $80.6B | $66.8B | +21% | ▲ 2 |
| 02 | Health & Human SVC Commn TX5 funding agencies | $50.5B | $38.7B | +30% | ▲ 3 |
| 03 | NYS Department of Health7 funding agencies | $47B | $51.8B | −9% | ▲ 1 |
| 04 | Lockheed Martin Corporation7 funding agencies | $40.8B | $75.3B | −46% | ▼ 2 |
| 05 | UnitedHealth Group8 funding agencies | $39.6B | $103.6B | −62% | ▼ 4 |
| 06 | PA Department of Human Services5 funding agencies | $36.6B | $30.4B | +20% | same |
| 07 | Ohio Department of Job & Family Services4 funding agencies | $30.9B | $26.8B | +16% | same |
| 08 | Department of Education California4 funding agencies | $30.3B | $10.7B | +183% | ▲ 17 |
| 09 | State of California Department of Finance1 funding agency | $27.6B | — | — | — |
| 10 | North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services10 funding agencies | $25.2B | $16.9B | +49% | ▲ 5 |
| 11 | Michigan Department of Health and Human Services10 funding agencies | $24.7B | $20.2B | +22% | same |
| 12 | The Boeing Company5 funding agencies | $22.8B | $22.1B | +3% | ▼ 2 |
| 13 | Department of Social Services California3 funding agencies | $21.8B | $17.3B | +26% | same |
| 14 | TX Education Agency3 funding agencies | $21.8B | $4.9B | +350% | ▲ 55 |
| 15 | Florida Agency for Health Care Administration1 funding agency | $19.5B | $18.8B | +4% | ▼ 3 |
| 16 | General Dynamics Corporation17 funding agencies | $18.7B | $23.6B | −21% | ▼ 7 |
| 17 | RTX Corporation9 funding agencies | $18.5B | $25.5B | −28% | ▼ 9 |
| 18 | New Jersey Department of Human Services3 funding agencies | $18.4B | $14.2B | +30% | same |
| 19 | Health Services Kentucky Cabinet for9 funding agencies | $18.2B | $12.1B | +50% | ▲ 2 |
| 20 | Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services1 funding agency | $18.1B | $14.5B | +25% | ▼ 3 |
| 21 | Texas Office of the Governor4 funding agencies | $17.7B | $8.6B | +105% | ▲ 17 |
| 22 | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts6 funding agencies | $17.6B | $14.6B | +21% | ▼ 6 |
| 23 | Texas Office of the Governor3 funding agencies | $17.4B | $8.3B | +109% | ▲ 17 |
| 24 | New York State Education Department5 funding agencies | $17.1B | $5.5B | +210% | ▲ 35 |
| 25 | State of New York2 funding agencies | $16.3B | $5.1B | +218% | ▲ 40 |
| 26 | Department of Social & Health Services6 funding agencies | $15.8B | $12B | +32% | ▼ 3 |
| 27 | Puerto Rico Department of Housing1 funding agency | $15.1B | $1.7B | +777% | ▲ 154 |
| 28 | Indiana Family and Social Serv4 funding agencies | $14.9B | $12.1B | +23% | ▼ 6 |
| 29 | Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System1 funding agency | $14.9B | $12.5B | +19% | ▼ 9 |
| 30 | Florida Department of Education4 funding agencies | $14.2B | $4.1B | +249% | ▲ 45 |
| 31 | Pfizer Inc3 funding agencies | $14.1B | $1.2B | — | ▲ 226 |
| 32 | New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance3 funding agencies | $13.4B | $10B | +34% | ▼ 5 |
| 33 | Lousiana Department of Health2 funding agencies | $12.6B | $9.5B | +32% | same |
| 34 | State of Florida Department of Financial Services2 funding agencies | $12.5B | $5.9B | +114% | ▲ 20 |
| 35 | Minnesota Department of Human Services3 funding agencies | $12.3B | $10.6B | +16% | ▼ 9 |
| 36 | Department of Social Services Misso4 funding agencies | $12.2B | $10.8B | +12% | ▼ 12 |
| 37 | VA Department of Medical Assistance Service1 funding agency | $11.1B | $9.8B | +13% | ▼ 8 |
| 38 | State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services9 funding agencies | $11B | $8.3B | +32% | ▲ 3 |
| 39 | Oregon Health Authority-Public Health9 funding agencies | $11B | $8.7B | +26% | ▼ 3 |
| 40 | Florida Department of Children and Families4 funding agencies | $10.9B | $8B | +37% | ▲ 3 |
| 41 | Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation15 funding agencies | $10.6B | $9.8B | +9% | ▼ 11 |
| 42 | Mckesson Corporation5 funding agencies | $10.6B | $9.6B | +11% | ▼ 11 |
| 43 | Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security5 funding agencies | $10.6B | $3.7B | +188% | ▲ 41 |
| 44 | Illinois Department of Human Service5 funding agencies | $10.5B | $5.4B | +94% | ▲ 17 |
| 45 | Maryland Department of Health2 funding agencies | $10B | $8.7B | +16% | ▼ 8 |
| 46 | Texas Division of Emergency Management2 funding agencies | $10B | $2.7B | +277% | ▲ 71 |
| 47 | Illinois State Board of Education4 funding agencies | $9.6B | $3.3B | +192% | ▲ 46 |
| 48 | Georgia Department of Community Health1 funding agency | $9.5B | $9.1B | +5% | ▼ 14 |
| 49 | Finance & Administration Tennessee Depar1 funding agency | $9.4B | $8.1B | +16% | ▼ 7 |
| 50 | Executive Office of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania1 funding agency | $8.9B | $3.9B | +126% | ▲ 28 |
| 51 | State of Michigan Treasury Deptt1 funding agency | $8.5B | — | — | — |
| 52 | New Jersey Dept of Community Affairs4 funding agencies | $8.5B | $595.6M | — | ▲ 370 |
| 53 | Ohio Department of Education4 funding agencies | $8.3B | $2.7B | +210% | ▲ 62 |
| 54 | Georgia Dept of Education4 funding agencies | $8.2B | $2.5B | +234% | ▲ 76 |
| 55 | New Mexico Health Care Authority4 funding agencies | $7.9B | $6.7B | +18% | ▼ 8 |
| 56 | Michigan Department of Education5 funding agencies | $7.9B | $2.7B | +196% | ▲ 60 |
| 57 | Department of Social Services Connecticut2 funding agencies | $7.8B | $7B | +11% | ▼ 12 |
| 58 | Mckesson Corporation4 funding agencies | $7.7B | $6.7B | +14% | ▼ 10 |
| 59 | Governors Office3 funding agencies | $7.7B | $3.7B | +108% | ▲ 24 |
| 60 | Leidos, Inc.20 funding agencies | $7.6B | $7.2B | +5% | ▼ 16 |
| 61 | Executive Office State of Ohio2 funding agencies | $7.5B | $3.9B | +94% | ▲ 19 |
| 62 | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education5 funding agencies | $7.4B | $638M | — | ▲ 335 |
| 63 | Texas Workforce Commission9 funding agencies | $7.4B | $5.4B | +38% | ▼ 1 |
| 64 | Modernatx, Inc.2 funding agencies | $7.4B | $2.2B | +237% | ▲ 89 |
| 65 | State of Georgia3 funding agencies | $7.3B | $186.2M | — | ▲ 950 |
| 66 | Massachusetts Cultural Council2 funding agencies | $7.2B | — | — | — |
| 67 | Department of Health Human Services3 funding agencies | $7.2B | $6.4B | +12% | ▼ 17 |
| 68 | Humana Government Business Inc1 funding agency | $7.1B | $6.9B | +3% | ▼ 22 |
| 69 | State of Colorado - Dept of Health Care Policy & Financing1 funding agency | $7.1B | $6.7B | +7% | ▼ 20 |
| 70 | Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.7 funding agencies | $6.9B | $8.6B | −19% | ▼ 31 |
| 71 | Governor's Authorized Representative1 funding agency | $6.9B | $13.4B | −48% | ▼ 52 |
| 72 | Triwest Healthcare Alliance Corp2 funding agencies | $6.7B | $9B | −25% | ▼ 37 |
| 73 | Homeland Security & Emergency2 funding agencies | $6.5B | $2.7B | +138% | ▲ 41 |
| 74 | Arizona Department of Economic Security6 funding agencies | $6.4B | $4.1B | +58% | ▲ 2 |
| 75 | West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources5 funding agencies | $6.4B | $4.7B | +35% | ▼ 5 |
| 76 | Arkansas Department of Human Services1 funding agency | $6.3B | $5.7B | +11% | ▼ 19 |
| 77 | LA Dept. Of Admin4 funding agencies | $6.3B | $1.7B | +269% | ▲ 105 |
| 78 | IA Department of Human Services3 funding agencies | $6.2B | $5.3B | +18% | ▼ 15 |
| 79 | New York City Office of Management & Budget1 funding agency | $5.9B | — | — | — |
| 80 | North Carolina Department of Public Instruction5 funding agencies | $5.9B | $1.1B | +419% | ▲ 182 |
| 81 | Alabama Medicaid Agency1 funding agency | $5.8B | $5.5B | +5% | ▼ 21 |
| 82 | Booz Allen Hamilton Inc10 funding agencies | $5.6B | $5.5B | +1% | ▼ 24 |
| 83 | Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc3 funding agencies | $5.6B | $638.4M | +772% | ▲ 313 |
| 84 | Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees0 funding agencies | $5.5B | $4.1B | +33% | ▼ 10 |
| 85 | Texas Department of Transportation3 funding agencies | $5.4B | $4.3B | +25% | ▼ 14 |
| 86 | Department of Human Services8 funding agencies | $5.3B | $3.9B | +37% | ▼ 7 |
| 87 | L3Harris Technologies, Inc.11 funding agencies | $5.3B | $5.2B | +2% | ▼ 23 |
| 88 | Executive Office of the State of Washington2 funding agencies | $5.3B | — | — | — |
| 89 | Department of Housing & Community Development2 funding agencies | $5.1B | $459.3M | — | ▲ 421 |
| 90 | Tennessee Department of Human Services3 funding agencies | $5.1B | $2.6B | +97% | ▲ 32 |
| 91 | New Jersey Department of Education3 funding agencies | $5B | $1.3B | +301% | ▲ 141 |
| 92 | Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration6 funding agencies | $5B | $2.4B | +106% | ▲ 39 |
| 93 | Mississippi Division of Medicaid1 funding agency | $5B | $5B | −1% | ▼ 26 |
| 94 | Commonwealth of Virginia1 funding agency | $4.9B | — | — | — |
| 95 | Nevada Department of Health & Human Services7 funding agencies | $4.8B | $3.8B | +27% | ▼ 13 |
| 96 | Department of Education Tennessee3 funding agencies | $4.8B | $1.5B | +231% | ▲ 111 |
| 97 | Oklahoma Health Care Authority1 funding agency | $4.8B | $4B | +18% | ▼ 20 |
| 98 | Texas General Land Office5 funding agencies | $4.7B | — | — | — |
| 99 | National Railroad Passenger Corporation2 funding agencies | $4.7B | $3B | +55% | ▲ 3 |
| 100 | BAE Systems, Inc.11 funding agencies | $4.6B | $6.3B | −27% | ▼ 49 |
The unfiltered view. For the procurement question specifically, see the top federal contractors ranking, which counts contract-coded dollars only.
Questions
- Who receives the most federal money in FY2021?
- California Department of Health Care Services, with $80.6B obligated in FY2021.
- Why do state agencies outrank defense companies here?
- Because this counts all federal money, and entitlement programs administered by states move far more of it than procurement does. Ranking contracts alone reverses the order.
- Where does this ranking come from?
- It is computed from USASpending.gov award records, which are U.S. government works and in the public domain. Each figure is every dollar obligated to that recipient in FY2021. TheFiscalFinder does the ranking; the underlying figures are the government's own.
- How many recipients are shown?
- The top 100 for FY2021. Each row opens that recipient's own page, where the same money is broken out by year, by counterparty and by place.
- Does a high position mean anything is wrong?
- No. This is a description of where public money went in FY2021, computed from public records. It is not an allegation about anyone on it.
Related rankings
Why the labels? The graph is only worth anything if the links are trusted. Facts taken straight from a federal filing are Source; figures we calculate are Computed; links we infer (corporate parents, districts, similar contractors, connections between records) are Inferred, worded carefully, never asserted as fact and never a claim that one thing caused another. Spot an error? Tell us.