How much federal money goes toward California state and local government?
Updated May. 12, 2026Refreshed annually
The federal government provided $156.3 billion to California in fiscal year (FY) 2023. This total includes money transferred to California's state government as well as funds sent directly to local entities within the state, such as cities and school districts. Federal funding helps state and local governments pay for things like infrastructure, education, and health care for low-income people.
In FY 2023
$156B
was the amount California governments received from the federal government
In FY 2023
22.1%
of California governments’ revenue came from federal transfers
Federal transfers to state and local governments may be awarded through a competitive application process, or given based on formulas that consider things like the size of a population, number of highway miles, or income of an area. Sometimes the money goes directly to local governments. Other times, the federal government gives “pass-through” grants to states, which then decide how to distribute the funds to local governments within their state.
Federal transfers to California governments decreased 8.1% in FY 2023.
Federal transfers to California's state and local governments, FY 2023 dollars
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In FY 2023, California received a total of $156.3 billion from federal transfers, down 8.1% from the year before. Money sent to California governments made up 12.7% of all federal government transfers to states that year.
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What percent of California's revenue comes from the federal government? How does this compare to other states?
Federal transfers to state and local governments can vary for many reasons, including the characteristics of the population (e.g., age and income levels), the strength of the local economy, and policy choices made by the recipient governments. This means funding varies across states, so one useful way to measure state reliance on federal money is to look at the share of total revenues coming from the federal government.
Less of California's revenues came from federal transfers than the average state in FY 2023.
Share of state and local government revenues from federal transfers, FY 2017–FY 2023
In FY 2023, 22.1% of California government revenues came from federal transfers. This was 3.0 percentage points lower than the average across all states.
What are federal dollars transferred to California spent on?
Federal transfers finance a broad range of programs and services, including education, nutritional assistance programs, infrastructure, and Medicaid. Because every state has different populations and needs, the purpose of federal transfers also differs.
Public welfare support made up 66% of transfers to California governments in FY 2023.
Share of state and local government revenues from federal transfers, FY 2023
In FY 2023, 65.7% of transfers California governments received from the federal government were for the purpose of supporting public welfare. Public welfare includes cash assistance to individuals through programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid payments to health care providers. Funding for community development, housing, and agriculture and resource conservation was the next largest category of federal transfers California governments received at 23%.
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
