WhereTaxMoneyGoesFederal spending in Colorado, FY 2026
Federal awards performed in Colorado totaled $70.4 billion in fiscal year 2026 — about $12,547 per resident, ranking 27th among states and territories. Of award spending (excluding loans), contracts 20.6%, grants 26.4%, direct payments 52.6%, other assistance 0.3%.
FY 2026 totals are still filling in (Defense contracts publish with a 90-day delay), so they will rise as data arrives.
Federal awards in Colorado by fiscal year
FY 2026 spending was essentially flat compared with FY 2025. Over the period shown, the peak was FY 2026 at $70.4 billion.
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2026 | $70.4 billion |
| FY 2025 | $70.1 billion |
| FY 2024 | $64.1 billion |
| FY 2023 | $62.1 billion |
| FY 2022 | $59.5 billion |
| FY 2021 | $65.8 billion |
| FY 2020 | $54.1 billion |
| FY 2019 | $45.5 billion |
| FY 2018 | $42.0 billion |
| FY 2017 | $41.6 billion |
Top recipients in Colorado
FY 2026, place of performance in Colorado. State agencies often top this list because Medicaid and other formula grants pass through them.
| # | Recipient | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple recipients (aggregated) | $33.7 billion | |
| 2 | State of Colorado - Dept of Health Care Policy & Financing | $11.7 billion | |
| 3 | Lockheed Martin Corp | $2.3 billion | |
| 4 | Department of Human Services Colorado | $2.2 billion | |
| 5 | Sierra Nevada Company, LLC | $2.1 billion | |
| 6 | Colorado Department of Transportation | $1.1 billion | |
| 7 | Alliance for Energy Innovation, LLC | $1.0 billion | |
| 8 | Board of Education Colorado | $788.2 million | |
| 9 | V3gate, LLC | $655.0 million | |
| 10 | Optumrx Administrative Services, LLC | $508.7 million |
Which agencies spend in Colorado
FY 2026 award obligations by awarding agency.
| # | Agency | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Security Administration | $26.4 billion | |
| 2 | Department of Health and Human Services | $16.3 billion | |
| 3 | Department of Defense | $8.1 billion | |
| 4 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $6.5 billion | |
| 5 | Department of Agriculture | $3.3 billion | |
| 6 | Department of Transportation | $1.9 billion | |
| 7 | Department of Education | $1.4 billion | |
| 8 | Department of Energy | $1.1 billion | |
| 9 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $1.1 billion | |
| 10 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | $998.0 million |
Largest federal assistance programs in Colorado
Assistance Listings (formerly CFDA programs) with the most FY 2026 obligations performed in Colorado.
| # | Program | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Security Retirement Insurance (96.002) | $22.3 billion | |
| 2 | Grants to States for Medicaid (93.778) | $11.2 billion | |
| 3 | Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability (64.109) | $4.0 billion | |
| 4 | Social Security Disability Insurance (96.001) | $1.7 billion | |
| 5 | Social Security Survivors Insurance (96.004) | $1.7 billion | |
| 6 | Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (10.551) | $1.4 billion | |
| 7 | Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance (93.774) | $1.2 billion | |
| 8 | Medicare Hospital Insurance (93.773) | $747.3 million |
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Contracts in Colorado Grants in Colorado
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Source data last updated November 4, 2026 · Imported November 6, 2026 · Dollar figures are nominal and rounded. How these numbers are calculated · Report a problem