WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Alaska and District of Columbia neighbors Maryland and Virginia received the highest per capita amount of 2003 federal spending, the Census Bureau reports.
Alaska received $12,224 per capita in 2003 while Virginia ($11,163) and Maryland ($10,464) were next on the list. New Mexico and North Dakota followed.
The Census Bureau said the federal government spent $2.1 trillion on the 50 states and the District of Columbia last year, a total that represents a 6 percent increase over 2002.
California, the country's most populace state, received the most funds -- $220 billion -- followed by Texas with $140 billion and New York at $138 billion. Florida ($13 billion) and Pennsylvania ($90 billion) were among the top five in that category, meaning the five states that combine for about 37 percent of the U.S. population received about one-third of federal funding.
The Census Bureau said Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid made up $950 billion in 2003 -- about 46 percent of U.S. government domestic spending.
