2006 Federal Funds, U.S. Summary
Federal programs specifically aimed at economic and community development are particularly important
for rural development. ERS research finds that rural areas have historically received somewhat less of such
community resources funding than urban areas. In addition, the amount of such Federal assistance varies
by region (table 1) and type of rural county (table 2). The geographic distribution of Federal funding also varies
by type of assistance, such as loans, grants, direct payments to individuals, etc. (table 3).
Table 1
Per capita Federal funding by region, metro status, and program function, fiscal 2006
All Agriculture
Federal and natural Community Defense Human Income
Area1 funds resources resources and space resources security
Dollars per person
United States 7,841 109 612 1,179 176 4,629
Metro 7,855 46 614 1,318 168 4,480
Nonmetro 7,769 427 601 482 217 5,373
Northeast 7,733 13 466 901 168 5,265
Metro 7,784 8 461 946 168 5,251
Nonmetro 7,255 58 513 491 170 5,393
Midwest 6,877 243 551 687 161 4,417
Metro 6,764 76 561 796 154 4,264
Nonmetro 7,249 789 518 332 184 4,917
South 8,942 110 758 1,586 173 4,845
Metro 9,148 58 804 1,846 161 4,588
Nonmetro 8,124 316 578 554 219 5,864
West 7,114 57 554 1,227 202 3,988
Metro 6,991 35 513 1,300 189 3,892
Nonmetro 8,191 253 919 581 320 4,826
Note: Individual figures may not sum to total because of rounding.
1/ This table uses the 2003 definition of metropolitan areas to distinguish between metro and nonmetro
counties. See definitions used in the tables and charts for explanation of county types, regions, and program
functions.
Source: Calculated by ERS using Federal funds data from the Census Bureau.
Table 2
Per capita Federal funds by function and county type, fiscal 2006
All Agriculture Defense
Federal and natural Community Human Income
Area1 funds resources resources space resources security
Dollars per person
United States 7,841 109 612 1,179 176 4,629
Metro 7,855 46 614 1,318 168 4,480
Nonmetro 7,769 427 601 482 217 5,373
Nonmetro counties by degree of urbanization: 1
Urbanized 7,580 229 586 796 196 5,072
Less urbanized 7,651 440 599 221 226 5,508
Totally rural 9,069 1,159 669 424 264 5,956
Nonmetro counties by economic type: 2
Farming-dependent 9,144 2,281 660 106 242 5,351
Mining-dependent 8,023 214 693 181 275 5,877
Manufacturing-
dependent 6,855 282 508 213 173 5,217
Federal-State-dep. 9,954 234 805 2,142 292 5,045
Services-dependent 7,267 79 592 449 141 5,259
Nonspecialized 7,820 465 607 229 251 5,680
Nonmetro counties by policy type: 2
Persistent poverty 9,056 548 585 330 422 6,441
Retirement-
destination 7,459 77 603 571 181 5,486
Housing stress 7,862 334 728 431 337 5,190
Low education 8,140 513 540 232 283 6,010
Low employment 8,722 305 586 311 359 6,502
Population loss 9,138 1,121 588 325 238 6,205
Recreation 7,408 107 673 481 223 5,217
Note: Individual figures may not sum to total because of rounding.
1/ This table uses the 2003 definition of metropolitan areas to distinguish between metro and nonmetro
counties. Urbanized = at least 20,000 urban population in 2003; less urbanized = 2,500 to 19,999 urban
population; totally rural = less than 2,500 urban population.
2/ See definitions used in the table and charts for explanations of county types and program functions.
Source: Calculated by ERS using Federal funds data from the Census Bureau.
Table 3
Per capita Federal funds by type of payment and county type, fiscal 2006
Retire- Other
All ment / direct
Federal Guaran- disability pymts. for
Area1 funds Grants Direct loans teed loans payments individs.
Dollars per person
United States 7,841 1,317 79 348 2,451 1,365
Metro 7,855 1,275 76 359 2,356 1,341
Nonmetro 7,769 1,527 91 290 2,927 1,484
Nonmetro counties by degree of urbanization: 1
Urbanized 7,580 1,331 94 302 2,875 1,388
Less urbanized 7,651 1,615 85 284 2,925 1,537
Totally rural 9,069 1,904 111 266 3,142 1,623
Nonmetro counties by economic type: 2
Farming-dep. 9,144 1,694 140 382 2,689 1,634
Mining-dep. 8,023 1,749 80 269 3,124 1,649
Manufacturing-dep. 6,855 1,343 64 266 2,854 1,460
Federal-State-dep. 9,954 1,858 143 346 2,786 1,303
Services-dep. 7,267 1,134 83 252 3,183 1,341
Nonspecialized 7,820 1,675 97 293 3,017 1,586
Nonmetro counties by policy type: 2
Persistent poverty 9,056 2,717 113 173 2,804 1,790
Retirement
Destination 7,459 1,199 59 307 3,363 1,373
Housing stress 7,862 1,977 103 267 2,668 1,387
Low education 8,140 2,088 79 203 2,824 1,713
Low employment 8,722 2,279 116 179 3,196 1,762
Population loss 9,138 1,830 121 258 3,195 1,853
Recreation 7,408 1,397 99 270 3,107 1,281
Note: Individual figures may not sum to total because of rounding.
1/ This table uses the 2003 definition of metropolitan areas to distinguish between metro and nonmetro counties. Ur
least 20,000 urban population in 2003; less urbanized = 2,500 to 19,999 urban population; totally rural = less than 2,5
population.
2/ See definitions used in the table and charts for explanations of county types and program functions.
Source: Calculated by ERS using Federal funds data from the Census Bureau.
Definitions
The 2004 ERS County Typology is a classification system that was developed to group counties by economic and po
See http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/rurality/typology/
County economic types—(mutually exclusive; a county may fall into only one economic type): Farming-dependent,
County policy types—(overlapping; a county may fall into any number of these types): Housing stress, Low-educat
Census regions—We use the Census-defined regions as follows:
Northeast : Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Islan
Midwest : Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dako
South : Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missis
West : Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washing
In most cases, we use only the nonmetro portion of these regions when referring to county-level data variations.
Metro areas—Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, include c
Nonmetro areas—These are counties outside metro area boundaries. "Rural" and "nonmetro" are used interchangea
Rural-urban continuum county codes—A Classification system developed by ERS to group counties by the size of th
Census Program Object Classifications
Salaries and Wages
Procurement Contracts
Direct Payments for Individuals (retirement and disability only)
Direct Payments for Individuals (other than retirement and disability)
Direct Payments Other than for Individuals
Grants (block grants, formula grants, project grants, and cooperative agreements)
Direct Loans
Guaranteed/Insured Loans
Insurance (this category is usually excluded from ERS analysis)
ERS Program Function Classifications:
ERS's six broad function categories for Federal programs are as follows:
Agriculture and natural resources : agricultural assistance, agricultural research and services, forest and land manag
Community resources : business assistance, community facilities, community and regional development, environmen
Defense and space : aeronautics and space, defense contracts, defense payroll and administration;
Human resources : elementary and secondary education, food and nutrition, health services, social services, training
Income security : medical and hospital benefits, public assistance and unemployment compensation, retirement and
National functions : criminal justice and law enforcement, energy, higher education and research, and all other progra
Budgetary Terms
Budget authority—The authority becoming available during the year to enter into obligations that will result in imme
Obligations incurred—Once budget authority is enacted, Government agencies may incur obligations to make pay
Outlays—This is the measure of Government spending. Outlays are payments to liquidate obligations (other than re
Direct loan—This is the disbursement of funds by the Government to a non-Federal borrower under a contract that
Loan guarantee—This is any guarantee, insurance, or other pledge with respect to the payment of all or a part of th
Fiscal year—A fiscal year is the U.S. Government's accounting period. It begins October 1 and ends September 30,
articularly important
somewhat less of such
ral assistance varies
ederal funding also varies
l 2006
National
functions
1,136
1,229
669
919
950
630
818
913
508
1,470
1,691
592
1,086
1,062
1,293
etro and nonmetro
, regions, and program
National
functions
1,136
1,229
669
700
657
596
504
784
463
1,436
748
587
730
543
841
561
660
661
706
etro and nonmetro
00 to 19,999 urban
ogram functions.
Direct
payments Procure- Salaries
not for ment and
individs. contracts wages
183 1,304 795
138 1,459 851
409 528 513
252 645 692
408 423 374
1,043 541 439
2,039 195 371
249 580 322
258 341 270
241 1,500 1,777
179 662 434
445 357 351
550 474 434
99 445 615
392 498 571
500 398 335
313 409 467
1,024 379 478
188 522 544
etro and nonmetro counties. Urbanized = at
ation; totally rural = less than 2,500 urban
rogram functions.
p counties by economic and policy-relevant characteristics. The County Typology used here are those described in 2004 County Typology C
mic type): Farming-dependent, Manufacturing-dependent, Mining-dependent, Federal/State government-dependent, Services-dependent, an
s): Housing stress, Low-education, Low-employment, Persistent poverty, Population loss, Nonmetro recreation, and Retirement destination.
York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
orth Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
ky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
ounty-level data variations.
agement and Budget, include central counties containing one or more urbanized areas (urban nucleus with 50,000 or more population); outly
onmetro" are used interchangeably to refer to people and places outside of MSAs. For more details on metro and nonmetro definitions, see W
group counties by the size of their urban population and the adjacency to metropolitan areas. Urbanized, less urbanized, and totally rural non
ervices, forest and land management, water and recreation resources;
ional development, environmental protection, housing, native American programs, and transportation;
administration;
ervices, social services, training and employment;
compensation, retirement and disability--includes Social Security; and
d research, and all other programs, excluding insurance.
igations that will result in immediate or future outlays of Government funds. In some cases, budget authority can be carried over to following
y incur obligations to make payments. These include current liabilities for salaries, wages, and interests; contracts for purchase of supplies a
uidate obligations (other than repayment of debt), net of refunds and offsetting collections.
borrower under a contract that requires repayment, with or without interest.
he payment of all or a part of the principal or interest on any debt obligation of a non-Federal borrower to a non-Federal lender.
ober 1 and ends September 30, and is designated by the calendar year in which it ends.
2004 County Typology Codes.
t, Services-dependent, and Non-specialized.
Retirement destination.
West Virginia.
or more population); outlying counties are included if economically tied to the core counties as measured by work commuting.
onmetro definitions, see What is Rural.
ized, and totally rural nonmetro counties fall under this classification. For more details see Rural-Urban Continuum Codes.
carried over to following years. It can take the form of appropriations, which permit obligations to be incurred and payments to be made, or
or purchase of supplies and equipment, construction, and the acquisition of office space, buildings, and land. In our tables and charts, when
ayments to be made, or authority to borrow, or authority to contract in advance of separate appropriations. Supplemental appropriations prov
tables and charts, when reporting obligations for credit programs, we report the total value of the loans obligated or guaranteed.
mental appropriations provide budget authority when the need for funds is too urgent to be postponed until the next annual appropriations act
guaranteed.
annual appropriations act.