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| Comparisons | |||||
4. Comparisons to Other States
4.4 How Do We Rank Among the States in Outlays?
Total Outlays
In 1996 Alaska state and local government outlays per capita, adjusted for the cost of living, were 87 percent above the U.S. average. That put Alaska at the top of the ranking.
|
State
and Local Outlays Per Capita:
|
||
|
1
|
Alaska |
1.87
|
|
2
|
Washington, D.C. |
1.72
|
|
3
|
New York |
1.47
|
|
4
|
Wyoming |
1.25
|
|
5
|
Hawaii |
1.23
|
|
6
|
Connecticut |
1.19
|
|
7
|
Minnesota |
1.18
|
|
8
|
New Jersey |
1.17
|
|
9
|
Delaware |
1.16
|
|
10
|
Massachusetts |
1.13
|
| Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Governmental Finances. | ||
At the other end—
|
State
and Local Outlays Per Capita: |
||
|
42
|
Mississippi
|
.86
|
|
43
|
Arizona
|
.85
|
|
44
|
Idaho
|
.85
|
|
45
|
Texas
|
.84
|
|
46
|
Indiana
|
.84
|
|
47
|
Kentucky
|
.84
|
|
48
|
Tennessee
|
.84
|
|
49
|
Missouri
|
.8
|
|
50
|
Oklahoma
|
.79
|
|
51
|
Arizona
|
.77
|
| Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Governmental Finances. | ||
Outlays by Program. Alaska does not rank at the top in all categories of spending. In general, Alaska exceeds the U.S. average by the biggest margin in categories we would expect such as commercial activities, unique programs (the Permanent Fund dividend and other unique Alaska programs), natural resources, air transportation, government administration, and highways. By contrast, in a few functional categories we are close to or below the national average such as welfare, higher education, and parks and recreation. (See graphs comparing 1999 states' government outlays by program.)
|
Alaska State and Local Spending Per Capita: |
|||
|
Type of Expenditure |
Number One State |
Alaska Rank |
Ratio, Alaska/US |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Direct General Expenditure |
- |
1 |
1.87 |
|
Misc Commercial Activities |
North Dakota |
2 |
50.1 |
|
Veterans' Services |
- |
1 |
40.7 |
|
Unique Programs (other and unallocable) |
- |
1 |
6.2 |
|
Natural Resources |
- |
1 |
6.0 |
|
Air Transportation |
- |
1 |
4.7 |
|
Other Governmental Administration |
- |
1 |
3.1 |
|
Highways
|
- |
1 |
3.1 |
|
Sea and Inland Port Facilities |
Washington |
5 |
3.0 |
|
Interest on General Debt |
- |
1 |
2.8 |
|
Social Insurance Administration |
- |
1 |
2.8 |
|
Judicial and Legal |
- |
1 |
2.7 |
|
Financial Administration |
- |
1 |
2.6 |
|
General Public Building |
- |
1 |
2.4 |
|
Housing and Community Development |
Hawaii |
4 |
2.0 |
|
Elementary and Secondary Education |
- |
1 |
1.5 |
|
Protective Inspection |
Nevada |
5 |
1.5 |
|
Health |
Hawaii |
6 |
1.4 |
|
Correction |
New York |
2 |
1.4 |
|
Libraries |
Washington |
6 |
1.4 |
|
Solid Waste Management |
New Jersey |
12 |
1.2 |
|
Police Protection |
New York |
6 |
1.2 |
|
Welfare |
New York |
11 |
1.1 |
|
Higher Education |
Delaware |
22 |
1.1 |
|
Fire Protection |
Rhode Island |
15 |
1.1 |
|
Other Education |
Delaware |
23 |
1.0 |
|
Parks and Recreation |
Hawaii |
22 |
0.9 |
|
Sewerage |
Massachusetts |
19 |
0.9 |
|
Hospitals |
Wyoming |
> 30 |
0.4 |
|
Parking Facilities |
Pennsylvania |
> 30 |
0.2 |
|
Transit Subsidies |
Rhode Island |
> 30 |
0.0 |
|
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, State and Local Government Finances, 1996. Alaska adjusted for higher cost of living. |
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Institute of Social and Economic
Research, University of Alaska Anchorage
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Page Updated April 16, 2003