In today’s polarized political climate, few issues in Washington receive bipartisan support. Investment in the nation’s infrastructure, however, is a notable exception – and with good reason. A 2021 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers assigned U.S. public infrastructure an average letter grade of “C-” based on performance in 17 major categories, including roads, drinking water, transit, dams, and bridges. According to the report, the U.S. needs to invest an additional $2.6 trillion in infrastructure over the next 10 years.
To help address this shortfall, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law in November 2021. The bill authorizes $1.2 trillion in federal spending over a five-year period, including $550 billion in new spending to rebuild public works and transportation infrastructure. (Here is a look at Biden’s approval rating in every state.)
Much of this money will be distributed to state governments and has already been earmarked for certain projects, including bridge and highway repair, electric vehicle charging station construction, broadband internet expansion, airport improvements, cybersecurity, and wildfire protection. While the largest states by population are the ones receiving the most federal dollars, they are not necessarily the states where federal infrastructure spending will have the largest impact.
North Carolina is expected to receive $10.4 billion federal infrastructure investment. Adjusting for population, this comes out to about $996 per capita, the second lowest among the 50 states.
Federal highway aid will account for 69.3% of infrastructure investment in the state, more than any other category, followed by water infrastructure, which will account for 10.6% of federal spending, and public transportation, at 8.8%.
All data in this story was compiled by U.S. News & World Report in its article, The States Benefiting the Most From the Infrastructure Deal.
RankStatePer capita federal infrastructure aid ($)Total federal infrastructure aid ($B)Largest investment category2nd largest investment category3rd largest investment category1Alaska6,7214.9Federal Highway AidAirportsWater Infrastructure2Wyoming4,4792.6Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs3Montana3,5583.9Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs4Vermont3,4582.2Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs5North Dakota3,3902.6Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs6South Dakota3,2102.8Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs7West Virginia2,4524.4Federal Highway AidBridge Replacements and RepairsWater Infrastructure8Delaware2,4012.4Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureAirports9Rhode Island2,3452.6Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation10Hawaii1,8002.6Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs11New Mexico1,7593.7Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure12Maine1,7362.4Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation13Connecticut1,6756.0Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationBridge Replacements and Repairs14Arkansas1,6485.0Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs15Idaho1,6453.0Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs16Iowa1,5935.1Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs17Louisiana1,5577.3Federal Highway AidBridge Replacements and RepairsWater Infrastructure18Nebraska1,5503.0Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs19Mississippi1,5074.5Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs20New Hampshire1,4872.0Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs21Missouri1,4649.0Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation22Oklahoma1,4585.8Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation23New Jersey1,45413.5Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationBridge Replacements and Repairs24Kentucky1,4396.5Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructureBridge Replacements and Repairs25Illinois1,39017.8Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure26Alabama1,3877.0Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation27Pennsylvania1,36917.8Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationBridge Replacements and Repairs28New York1,33326.9Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure29Massachusetts1,3279.3Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationBridge Replacements and Repairs30Kansas1,3073.8Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation31Indiana1,3038.8Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation32Nevada1,3014.0Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure33Oregon1,2655.4Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure34Wisconsin1,2347.3Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation35Texas1,21635.4Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure36Utah1,2094.0Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure37Maryland1,1987.4Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure38South Carolina1,1956.1Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation39Minnesota1,1926.8Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure40Virginia1,17010.1Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure41Georgia1,15212.3Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure42Tennessee1,1518.0Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation43California1,12744.6Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationBridge Replacements and Repairs44Washington1,1158.6Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure45Ohio1,08712.8Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation46Michigan1,07010.8Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation47Colorado1,0686.2Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure48Arizona1,0227.3Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure49North Carolina99610.4Federal Highway AidWater InfrastructurePublic Transportation50Florida88719.1Federal Highway AidPublic TransportationWater Infrastructure
