WhereTaxMoneyGoesFederal spending in Rhode Island, FY 2026
Federal awards performed in Rhode Island totaled $16.2 billion in fiscal year 2026 — about $15,258 per resident, ranking 47th among states and territories. Of award spending (excluding loans), contracts 5.7%, grants 34.0%, direct payments 60.2%, other assistance 0.1%.
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 Rhode Island by fiscal year
FY 2026 spending was up 7% from FY 2025 ($15.2 billion). Over the period shown, the peak was FY 2026 at $16.2 billion.
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2026 | $16.2 billion |
| FY 2025 | $15.2 billion |
| FY 2024 | $14.5 billion |
| FY 2023 | $14.0 billion |
| FY 2022 | $13.8 billion |
| FY 2021 | $15.8 billion |
| FY 2020 | $13.2 billion |
| FY 2019 | $10.2 billion |
| FY 2018 | $9.8 billion |
| FY 2017 | $9.4 billion |
Top recipients in Rhode Island
FY 2026, place of performance in Rhode Island. State agencies often top this list because Medicaid and other formula grants pass through them.
| # | Recipient | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple recipients (aggregated) | $8.9 billion | |
| 2 | State of Rhode Island Department of Administration | $3.1 billion | |
| 3 | Rhode Island Dot | $455.8 million | |
| 4 | Rhode Island Department of Human Services | $428.1 million | |
| 5 | RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education | $269.0 million | |
| 6 | Brown University | $195.1 million | |
| 7 | Health & Human Services, Rhode Island Executive Office of | $167.7 million | |
| 8 | Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank | $136.8 million | |
| 9 | Seacorp, LLC | $124.4 million | |
| 10 | University of Rhode Island | $116.5 million |
Which agencies spend in Rhode Island
FY 2026 award obligations by awarding agency.
| # | Agency | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Security Administration | $6.2 billion | |
| 2 | Department of Health and Human Services | $6.0 billion | |
| 3 | Department of Defense | $825.3 million | |
| 4 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $595.1 million | |
| 5 | Department of Transportation | $568.0 million | |
| 6 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | $514.0 million | |
| 7 | Department of Agriculture | $457.9 million | |
| 8 | Department of Education | $354.6 million | |
| 9 | Environmental Protection Agency | $169.2 million | |
| 10 | National Science Foundation | $58.6 million |
Largest federal assistance programs in Rhode Island
Assistance Listings (formerly CFDA programs) with the most FY 2026 obligations performed in Rhode Island.
| # | Program | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Security Retirement Insurance (96.002) | $5.0 billion | |
| 2 | Grants to States for Medicaid (93.778) | $2.9 billion | |
| 3 | Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance (93.774) | $1.0 billion | |
| 4 | Social Security Disability Insurance (96.001) | $674.2 million | |
| 5 | Medicare Hospital Insurance (93.773) | $659.0 million | |
| 6 | Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability (64.109) | $429.8 million | |
| 7 | Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (93.770) | $386.2 million | |
| 8 | Social Security Survivors Insurance (96.004) | $328.3 million |
Search Rhode Island awards
Contracts in Rhode Island Grants in Rhode Island
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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