Who receives the most federal grant money in FY2021?

California Department of Health Care Services, with $80.6B in federal assistance in FY2021.

Is a grant the same as a contract?

No. A contract buys something for the government; a grant funds the recipient to carry out a public purpose of its own. They are recorded separately in the source and ranked separately here.

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 total obligations minus contract-coded obligations for 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.

Rankings

Top federal grant recipients: FY2021

FY2021 · complete year · data as of 2026-07-12

≈ computed · assistance dollars

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California Department of Health Care Services received $80.6B in federal assistance in FY2021, more than any other recipient. Assistance means everything that is not a contract: grants, direct payments and loans. Computed as a recipient's total obligations minus its contract-coded ones. 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 32% of the $1.2T combined total of all 100 recipients listed.
State of Georgia rose the most, from #668 in FY2020 to #56 in FY2021.
Governor's Authorized Representative fell the most among those listed, from #15 in FY2020 to #60 in FY2021.

Rank	Name	FY2021	FY2020	Change	Rank vs FY2020
01	California Department of Health Care Servicesof $80.6B total	$80.6B	$66.8B	+21%	▲ 1
02	Health & Human SVC Commn TXof $50.5B total	$50.5B	$38.7B	+30%	▲ 2
03	NYS Department of Healthof $47B total	$47B	$51.8B	−9%	same
04	PA Department of Human Servicesof $36.6B total	$36.6B	$30.4B	+20%	▲ 1
05	Ohio Department of Job & Family Servicesof $30.9B total	$30.9B	$26.8B	+16%	▲ 1
06	Department of Education Californiaof $30.3B total	$30.3B	$10.7B	+183%	▲ 15
07	UnitedHealth Groupof $39.6B total	$29.9B	$101.4B	−71%	▼ 6
08	State of California Department of Financeof $27.6B total	$27.6B	—	—	—
09	North Carolina Department of Health & Human Servicesof $25.2B total	$25.2B	$16.9B	+49%	▲ 2
10	Michigan Department of Health and Human Servicesof $24.7B total	$24.7B	$20.2B	+22%	▼ 3
11	Department of Social Services Californiaof $21.8B total	$21.8B	$17.3B	+26%	▼ 2
12	TX Education Agencyof $21.8B total	$21.8B	$4.9B	+350%	▲ 44
13	Florida Agency for Health Care Administrationof $19.5B total	$19.5B	$18.8B	+4%	▼ 5
14	New Jersey Department of Human Servicesof $18.4B total	$18.4B	$14.2B	+30%	same
15	Health Services Kentucky Cabinet forof $18.2B total	$18.2B	$12.1B	+50%	▲ 2
16	Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Servicesof $18.1B total	$18.1B	$14.5B	+25%	▼ 3
17	Texas Office of the Governorof $17.7B total	$17.7B	$8.6B	+105%	▲ 14
18	The Commonwealth of Massachusettsof $17.6B total	$17.6B	$14.6B	+21%	▼ 6
19	Texas Office of the Governorof $17.4B total	$17.4B	$8.3B	+109%	▲ 13
20	New York State Education Departmentof $17.1B total	$17.1B	$5.5B	+210%	▲ 27
21	State of New Yorkof $16.3B total	$16.3B	$5.1B	+218%	▲ 31
22	Department of Social & Health Servicesof $15.8B total	$15.8B	$12B	+32%	▼ 3
23	Puerto Rico Department of Housingof $15.1B total	$15.1B	$1.7B	+777%	▲ 114
24	Indiana Family and Social Servof $14.9B total	$14.9B	$12.1B	+23%	▼ 6
25	Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Systemof $14.9B total	$14.9B	$12.5B	+19%	▼ 9
26	Florida Department of Educationof $14.2B total	$14.2B	$4.1B	+249%	▲ 34
27	New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistanceof $13.4B total	$13.4B	$10B	+34%	▼ 4
28	Lousiana Department of Healthof $12.6B total	$12.6B	$9.5B	+32%	▼ 1
29	State of Florida Department of Financial Servicesof $12.5B total	$12.5B	$5.9B	+114%	▲ 14
30	Minnesota Department of Human Servicesof $12.3B total	$12.3B	$10.6B	+16%	▼ 8
31	Department of Social Services Missoof $12.2B total	$12.2B	$10.8B	+12%	▼ 11
32	VA Department of Medical Assistance Serviceof $11.1B total	$11.1B	$9.8B	+13%	▼ 7
33	State of Wisconsin Department of Health Servicesof $11B total	$11B	$8.3B	+32%	same
34	Oregon Health Authority-Public Healthof $11B total	$11B	$8.7B	+26%	▼ 5
35	Florida Department of Children and Familiesof $10.9B total	$10.9B	$8B	+37%	same
36	Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Securityof $10.6B total	$10.6B	$3.7B	+188%	▲ 33
37	Illinois Department of Human Serviceof $10.5B total	$10.5B	$5.4B	+94%	▲ 12
38	Maryland Department of Healthof $10B total	$10B	$8.7B	+16%	▼ 8
39	Texas Division of Emergency Managementof $10B total	$10B	$2.7B	+277%	▲ 55
40	Illinois State Board of Educationof $9.6B total	$9.6B	$3.3B	+192%	▲ 36
41	Georgia Department of Community Healthof $9.5B total	$9.5B	$9.1B	+5%	▼ 13
42	Finance & Administration Tennessee Deparof $9.4B total	$9.4B	$8.1B	+16%	▼ 8
43	Executive Office of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniaof $8.9B total	$8.9B	$3.9B	+126%	▲ 20
44	State of Michigan Treasury Depttof $8.5B total	$8.5B	—	—	—
45	New Jersey Dept of Community Affairsof $8.5B total	$8.5B	$595.6M	—	▲ 274
46	Ohio Department of Educationof $8.3B total	$8.3B	$2.7B	+210%	▲ 46
47	Georgia Dept of Educationof $8.2B total	$8.2B	$2.5B	+234%	▲ 55
48	New Mexico Health Care Authorityof $7.9B total	$7.9B	$6.7B	+18%	▼ 11
49	Michigan Department of Educationof $7.9B total	$7.9B	$2.7B	+196%	▲ 44
50	Department of Social Services Connecticutof $7.8B total	$7.8B	$7B	+11%	▼ 14
51	Mckesson Corporationof $7.7B total	$7.7B	$6.7B	+14%	▼ 13
52	Governors Officeof $7.7B total	$7.7B	$3.7B	+108%	▲ 16
53	Executive Office State of Ohioof $7.5B total	$7.5B	$3.9B	+94%	▲ 12
54	Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Educationof $7.4B total	$7.4B	$638M	—	▲ 249
55	Texas Workforce Commissionof $7.4B total	$7.3B	$5.3B	+39%	▼ 5
56	State of Georgiaof $7.3B total	$7.3B	$186.2M	—	▲ 612
57	Massachusetts Cultural Councilof $7.2B total	$7.2B	—	—	—
58	Department of Health Human Servicesof $7.2B total	$7.2B	$6.4B	+12%	▼ 18
59	State of Colorado - Dept of Health Care Policy & Financingof $7.1B total	$7.1B	$6.7B	+7%	▼ 20
60	Governor's Authorized Representativeof $6.9B total	$6.9B	$13.4B	−48%	▼ 45
61	Homeland Security & Emergencyof $6.5B total	$6.5B	$2.7B	+138%	▲ 30
62	Arizona Department of Economic Securityof $6.4B total	$6.4B	$4.1B	+58%	▼ 1
63	West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resourcesof $6.4B total	$6.4B	$4.7B	+35%	▼ 6
64	Arkansas Department of Human Servicesof $6.3B total	$6.3B	$5.7B	+11%	▼ 19
65	LA Dept. Of Adminof $6.3B total	$6.3B	$1.7B	+269%	▲ 74
66	IA Department of Human Servicesof $6.2B total	$6.2B	$5.3B	+18%	▼ 15
67	New York City Office of Management & Budgetof $5.9B total	$5.9B	—	—	—
68	North Carolina Department of Public Instructionof $5.9B total	$5.9B	$1.1B	+419%	▲ 135
69	Alabama Medicaid Agencyof $5.8B total	$5.8B	$5.5B	+5%	▼ 21
70	Texas Department of Transportationof $5.4B total	$5.4B	$4.3B	+25%	▼ 12
71	Department of Human Servicesof $5.3B total	$5.3B	$3.9B	+37%	▼ 7
72	Executive Office of the State of Washingtonof $5.3B total	$5.3B	—	—	—
73	Department of Housing & Community Developmentof $5.1B total	$5.1B	$459.3M	—	▲ 293
74	Tennessee Department of Human Servicesof $5.1B total	$5.1B	$2.6B	+97%	▲ 23
75	New Jersey Department of Educationof $5B total	$5B	$1.3B	+301%	▲ 105
76	Tennessee Department of Finance and Administrationof $5B total	$5B	$2.4B	+106%	▲ 27
77	Mississippi Division of Medicaidof $5B total	$5B	$5B	−1%	▼ 23
78	Commonwealth of Virginiaof $4.9B total	$4.9B	—	—	—
79	Miscellaneous Foreign Awardeesof $5.5B total	$4.9B	$3.7B	+31%	▼ 12
80	Nevada Department of Health & Human Servicesof $4.8B total	$4.8B	$3.8B	+27%	▼ 14
81	Department of Education Tennesseeof $4.8B total	$4.8B	$1.5B	+231%	▲ 78
82	Oklahoma Health Care Authorityof $4.8B total	$4.8B	$4B	+18%	▼ 20
83	Texas General Land Officeof $4.7B total	$4.7B	—	—	—
84	National Railroad Passenger Corporationof $4.7B total	$4.7B	$3B	+55%	▼ 3
85	Office of Emergency Servicesof $4.5B total	$4.5B	$3B	+53%	same
86	Executive Office of State of Arizonaof $4.5B total	$4.5B	$1.9B	+133%	▲ 41
87	Commonwealth of Virginia State Board of Educationof $4.5B total	$4.5B	$1.7B	+166%	▲ 53
88	Colorado Department of Personnel & Administrationof $4.5B total	$4.5B	$1.7B	+167%	▲ 53
89	Gavi Allianceof $4.4B total	$4.4B	—	—	—
90	Department of Education of Puerto Ricoof $4.3B total	$4.3B	$1.2B	+263%	▲ 105
91	State of Indianaof $4.3B total	$4.3B	$2.5B	+72%	▲ 9
92	Administracion DE Desarrollo Socioeconomico DE LA Familiaof $4.3B total	$4.3B	$2.2B	+92%	▲ 19
93	Virginia Department of Social Servicesof $4.3B total	$4.3B	$2.5B	+68%	▲ 5
94	Maryland Department of Budget and Managementof $4.2B total	$4.2B	—	—	—
95	Arizona Department of Educationof $4.2B total	$4.2B	$1.5B	+174%	▲ 56
96	Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairsof $4.2B total	$4.2B	$493.4M	+744%	▲ 257
97	West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resourcesof $4.1B total	$4.1B	$3.5B	+17%	▼ 26
98	South Carolina Department of Educationof $4.1B total	$4.1B	$1.1B	+266%	▲ 109
99	Elementary & Secondary Education Missouri Department ofof $4.1B total	$4.1B	$1.1B	+262%	▲ 103
100	Government of District of Columbiaof $4.1B total	$4.1B	$2.8B	+45%	▼ 11

Assistance dollars often pass THROUGH the named recipient — a state agency administering a federal program is the recipient of record, not the ultimate beneficiary.

Questions

Who receives the most federal grant money in FY2021?: California Department of Health Care Services, with $80.6B in federal assistance in FY2021.
Is a grant the same as a contract?: No. A contract buys something for the government; a grant funds the recipient to carry out a public purpose of its own. They are recorded separately in the source and ranked separately here.
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 total obligations minus contract-coded obligations for 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.

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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.