Last updated March 09, 2015

Earmarks by State

Earmarks ranked by:

Members with highest total
States with highest per-capita
States with lowest per-capita
States with highest total
States with lowest total
Source and Credits

Federal Appropriations Earmarks by State

The map below shows the dollar value of earmarks based on the home state of the sponsors. Click on a state to view total earmarks sponsored by each individual lawmaker from that state.

Earmarks with sponsors from multiple states are excluded from the map and the state totals, but they are included in earmark totals for individual members. Where several lawmakers sponsored the same earmark, each is credited with the amount of the earmark (learn more). Click a member name for a list of all their disclosed earmarks, or visit our fully-browseable earmark database directly.

State totals do not include earmarks with sponsors from multiple states. Individual totals include earmarks sponsored with any other members, and may be higher than the state earmark total. (learn more)

Click a member name for a fully-browseable list of all their disclosed earmarks, or visit our fully-browseable earmark database directly.

Earmarks sponsored, FY 2010
SENATE
  1. Thad Cochran, R-Miss.
    $520,454,000
  2. Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss.
    $378,389,000
  3. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah
    $358,815,000
  4. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii
    $351,250,000
  5. Harry Reid, D-Nev.
    $300,485,000
  6. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.V.
    $292,870,000
  7. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y.
    $280,188,000
  8. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
    $268,945,000
  9. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa
    $264,137,000
  10. John Kerry, D-Mass.
    $253,651,000
HOUSE
  1. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.
    $150,185,000
  2. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii
    $149,462,000
  3. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii
    $139,446,000
  4. C.W. "Bill" Young, R-Fla.
    $129,284,000
  5. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D.
    $122,759,000
  6. Norman D. Dicks, D-Wash.
    $111,299,000
  7. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont.
    $101,312,000
  8. Harold Rogers, R-Ky.
    $97,758,000
  9. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.
    $97,583,000
  10. Gregory Harper, R-Miss.
    $95,267,000
Earmarks sponsored, FY 2009
SENATE
  1. Thad Cochran, R-Miss.
    $1,471,928,000
  2. Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss.
    $758,689,000
  3. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La.
    $511,549,000
  4. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa
    $471,656,000
  5. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii
    $459,370,000
  6. David Vitter, R-La.
    $445,702,000
  7. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
    $382,486,000
  8. Blanche L. Lincoln, D-Ark.
    $373,105,000
  9. Christopher S. Bond, R-Mo.
    $367,690,000
  10. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y.
    $366,265,000
HOUSE
  1. Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss.
    $553,211,000
  2. Rodney M. Alexander, R-La.
    $323,225,000
  3. Chet Edwards, D-Texas
    $253,767,000
  4. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D.
    $207,377,000
  5. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii
    $200,890,000
  6. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
    $185,179,000
  7. James P. Moran, D-Va.
    $181,627,000
  8. Charles Gonzalez, D-Texas
    $179,409,000
  9. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.
    $169,197,000
  10. C.W. "Bill" Young, R-Fla.
    $164,389,000
Top 20 States by Earmark Per-Capita
State totals do not include earmarks with sponsors from multiple states.

FY 2010
  1. Hawaii
    $289.84
  2. North Dakota
    $239.74
  3. West Virginia
    $180.54
  4. Mississippi
    $163.23
  5. Vermont
    $142.28
  6. Alaska
    $141.90
  7. Utah
    $138.74
  8. Montana
    $124.20
  9. South Dakota
    $111.23
  10. Nevada
    $103.07
  11. Rhode Island
    $79.37
  12. Iowa
    $72.75
  13. Maine
    $71.27
  14. New Hampshire
    $64.37
  15. Alabama
    $64.29
  16. New Mexico
    $56.97
  17. Kansas
    $54.81
  18. Delaware
    $51.71
  19. Kentucky
    $46.39
  20. Washington
    $41.16
FY 2009
  1. Alaska
    $500.31
  2. Mississippi
    $383.52
  3. Hawaii
    $280.00
  4. North Dakota
    $269.32
  5. West Virginia
    $230.24
  6. Vermont
    $173.55
  7. South Dakota
    $124.68
  8. Montana
    $111.12
  9. New Mexico
    $110.45
  10. Rhode Island
    $90.73
  11. Alabama
    $83.70
  12. Delaware
    $78.88
  13. Iowa
    $73.05
  14. Nevada
    $71.13
  15. Arkansas
    $64.01
  16. New Hampshire
    $63.17
  17. Kansas
    $60.37
  18. Washington
    $56.29
  19. Wyoming
    $56.00
  20. Kentucky
    $54.81
Lowest 20 States by Earmark Per-Capita
State totals do not include earmarks with sponsors from multiple states.

FY 2010
  1. District of Columbia
    $9.96
  2. Wyoming
    $10.58
  3. Minnesota
    $11.84
  4. Arizona
    $13.86
  5. Colorado
    $14.29
  6. New York
    $14.63
  7. Illinois
    $15.95
  8. Tennessee
    $16.30
  9. Texas
    $17.03
  10. North Carolina
    $17.40
  11. Georgia
    $17.74
  12. Indiana
    $17.90
  13. California
    $18.51
  14. Virginia
    $18.63
  15. Oregon
    $19.49
  16. Ohio
    $21.24
  17. Florida
    $22.98
  18. Michigan
    $23.48
  19. Oklahoma
    $23.53
  20. South Carolina
    $26.64
FY 2009
  1. District of Columbia
    $8.00
  2. Arizona
    $13.67
  3. New York
    $15.84
  4. Illinois
    $17.64
  5. Tennessee
    $17.69
  6. Georgia
    $18.15
  7. Colorado
    $19.19
  8. Minnesota
    $19.29
  9. California
    $21.54
  10. Oregon
    $22.67
  11. Texas
    $22.67
  12. North Carolina
    $24.35
  13. Indiana
    $24.51
  14. Michigan
    $26.09
  15. Ohio
    $26.80
  16. Florida
    $28.83
  17. South Carolina
    $31.76
  18. Virginia
    $32.04
  19. Massachusetts
    $33.01
  20. Wisconsin
    $34.36
Top 20 States by Earmark Total
State totals do not include earmarks with sponsors from multiple states.

FY 2010
  1. California
    $684,229,000
  2. Mississippi
    $481,841,000
  3. Florida
    $425,986,000
  4. Texas
    $421,946,000
  5. Utah
    $386,333,000
  6. Hawaii
    $375,390,000
  7. Pennsylvania
    $363,573,000
  8. West Virginia
    $328,535,000
  9. Alabama
    $302,711,000
  10. New York
    $285,824,000
  11. New Jersey
    $275,518,000
  12. Washington
    $274,316,000
  13. Nevada
    $272,431,000
  14. Ohio
    $245,170,000
  15. Michigan
    $234,109,000
  16. Maryland
    $232,629,000
  17. Iowa
    $218,835,000
  18. Missouri
    $208,083,000
  19. Illinois
    $205,929,000
  20. Kentucky
    $200,122,000
FY 2009
  1. Mississippi
    $1,132,147,000
  2. California
    $796,326,000
  3. Texas
    $561,720,000
  4. Florida
    $534,399,000
  5. Pennsylvania
    $513,549,000
  6. West Virginia
    $418,980,000
  7. Alabama
    $394,137,000
  8. Washington
    $375,104,000
  9. Hawaii
    $362,656,000
  10. Alaska
    $349,450,000
  11. New Jersey
    $314,715,000
  12. Missouri
    $313,166,000
  13. New York
    $309,552,000
  14. Ohio
    $309,390,000
  15. Michigan
    $260,104,000
  16. Virginia
    $252,558,000
  17. Maryland
    $247,485,000
  18. Kentucky
    $236,474,000
  19. North Carolina
    $228,401,000
  20. Illinois
    $227,690,000
Lowest 20 States by Earmark Total
State totals do not include earmarks with sponsors from multiple states.

FY 2010
  1. Wyoming
    $5,760,000
  2. District of Columbia
    $5,970,000
  3. Delaware
    $45,771,000
  4. Nebraska
    $56,482,000
  5. Idaho
    $60,938,000
  6. Minnesota
    $62,360,000
  7. Colorado
    $71,786,000
  8. Oregon
    $74,579,000
  9. Rhode Island
    $83,598,000
  10. New Hampshire
    $85,263,000
  11. Oklahoma
    $86,742,000
  12. Vermont
    $88,466,000
  13. South Dakota
    $90,358,000
  14. Arizona
    $91,400,000
  15. Maine
    $93,959,000
  16. Alaska
    $99,113,000
  17. Tennessee
    $102,640,000
  18. Arkansas
    $108,428,000
  19. New Mexico
    $114,486,000
  20. Indiana
    $114,946,000
FY 2009
  1. District of Columbia
    $4,797,000
  2. Wyoming
    $30,480,000
  3. Maine
    $45,434,000
  4. Nebraska
    $63,491,000
  5. Delaware
    $69,820,000
  6. Idaho
    $80,692,000
  7. New Hampshire
    $83,678,000
  8. Oregon
    $86,740,000
  9. Arizona
    $90,134,000
  10. Rhode Island
    $95,559,000
  11. Colorado
    $96,412,000
  12. South Dakota
    $101,285,000
  13. Minnesota
    $101,564,000
  14. Vermont
    $107,908,000
  15. Montana
    $108,338,000
  16. Tennessee
    $111,392,000
  17. Connecticut
    $134,974,000
  18. Oklahoma
    $138,117,000
  19. South Carolina
    $144,857,000
  20. Utah
    $146,962,000

Source

The figures in this graphic are derived from the White House Office of Management and Budget database of earmarks. OMB defines “earmark” as spending directed by Congress that “circumvents otherwise applicable merit-based or competitive allocation processes, or specifies the location or recipient.” OMB’s full definition can be found here.

Credits

  • Design: Ted Benson
  • Editors: Jamie Baylis, John Cranford
  • Data: Sarah Vanderbilt
  • Interactive: Thomas Wilburn