State personal income in the past six quarters has increased mostly in “red” states and states run by Republican governors, TheBlaze reported earlier this month.

However, after TheBlaze noted this trend, a few readers argued that this was because “red” states typically receive the lion’s share of federal funding.

Do they really?

In a word: No. In fact, since 2000, solid “blue” states have received far more in federal funding than solid “red” states, a Blaze analysis finds.

But first, let’s define the what we mean by “red” state, “blue” state, “purple” state, etc.:

  • Red: Republican presidential candidates have won this state in every election since 1996
  • Pink: Republican presidential candidates have won this state three times since 1996
  • Purple: This state has been won twice by a Republican presidential candidate and twice by a Democrat presidential candidate since 1996
  • Light Blue: Democrat presidential candidates have won this state three times since 1996
  • Blue: Democrat presidential candidates have won this state in every election since 1996

A quick word on our use of 1996: Because most pre-’96 electoral maps involve different color schemes, we felt it would be best to start with President Clinton’s second run for office, the year the “red” state/”blue” state map configuration we’re all familiar with became standardized (although it would take another four years for it to become a widely used election year tool).

Now it should be pointed out that federal funds go toward a vast array of issues, including military, infrastructure, and disaster relief. Moreover, a state’s population plays a large role in the total amount received. But the argument isn’t about which states are “more deserving” of federal aid. The argument is that “red” states receive more funds than anyone else.

That being said, here is a breakdown of all 50 states and the District of Columbia by electoral map color and federal funding since 2000, according to USA.gov:

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsAs you can clearly see, there’s a difference in the distribution of federal funds among the states. In fact, if you combine “strong GOP” with “likely GOP,” the amount is still less than then amount “strong Dem” states have received in the last 12 years.

Now some argue that certain states spend their federal funds differently, giving more back to the “pie” than others, and that this somehow changes everything.

Again, that’s not the argument. The original argument claims “red” states receive more federal funds than anyone else, leading to things like an uptick in income growth. But as the above clearly indicates, “red” states simply don’t get more in fed funds.

Now we’re sure you’re want to know which states have received the most since the turn of the new millennium. We’re glad you asked. It just so happens that we have a list prepared for you.

Here are the top ten states that have received the most federal funding since 2000, their estimated populations in 2011 (according to the U.S. Census Bureau), the amount of federal spending per capita in 2011 (the population estimate divided by total federal spending in FY2011), and their electoral map color (based on the last four election cycles):

OHIO: $828.2B

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Purple
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 11,544,951
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $5,907
Voting History:

  • 1996: Clinton
  • 2000: Bush
  • 2004: Bush
  • 2008: Obama

NEW JERSEY: $888.6B

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Blue
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 8,821,155
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $11,132
Voting History:

  • 1996: Clinton
  • 2000: Gore
  • 2004: Kerry
  • 2008: Obama

ILLINOIS: $888.7B

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Blue
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 12,869,257
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $5,781
Voting History:

  • 1996: Clinton
  • 2000: Gore
  • 2004: Kerry
  • 2008: Obama

LOUISIANA: $994.5B

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Pink
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 4,574,836
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $30,099
Voting History:

  • 1996: Clinton
  • 2000: Bush
  • 2004: Bush
  • 2008: McCain

VIRGINIA: $1.054T

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Pink
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 8,096,604
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $14,537
Voting History:

  • 1996: Dole
  • 2000: Bush
  • 2004: Bush
  • 2008: Obama

PENNSYLVANIA: $1.105T

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Blue
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 12,742,886
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $7,573
Voting History:

  • 1996: Clinton
  • 2000: Gore
  • 2004: Kerry
  • 2008: Obama

NEW YORK: $1.714T

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Blue
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 19,465,197
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $7,973
Voting History:

  • 1996: Clinton
  • 2000: Gore
  • 2004: Kerry
  • 2008: Obama

TEXAS: $2.387T

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Red
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 25,674,681
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $11,451
Voting History:

  • 1996: Dole
  • 2000: Bush
  • 2004: Bush
  • 2008: McCain

CALIFORNIA: $2.928T

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Blue
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 37,691,912
Federal spending per capita in 2011: $7,269
Voting History:

  • 1996: Clinton
  • 2000: Gore
  • 2004: Kerry
  • 2008: Obama

FLORIDA: $3.853T

Blaze Analysis: These are the States That Have Received the Most Fed Funds in the Last 12 YearsColor: Purple
Population Estimates (as of July 1, 2011): 19,057,542
Federal spending per capita in 2011: ​$30,319
Voting History:

  • 1996: Clinton
  • 2000: Bush
  • 2004: Bush
  • 2008: Obama

Final Thought: Now that we have that sorted out, would anyone like to guess why state income has increased primarily in “red” states and in states with Republican governors?

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

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RELATED:

All article photos courtesy the AP. Front page photo courtesy shutterstock.com.

This story has been updated.

 

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