Fed Spend Map

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County · Kentucky · FIPS 21179

Federal spending in Nelson County, KY

Population 49,036 (2025 estimate) · per-resident rank 50 of 120 counties in Kentucky · congressional districts KY-02, KY-04

Jefferson County: $171,301 per residentFranklin County: $31,132 per residentGrayson County: $20,380 per residentMason County: $12,611 per residentMcCreary County: $10,481 per residentChristian County: $10,332 per residentHardin County: $10,131 per residentLetcher County: $9,308 per residentTrigg County: $9,261 per residentCarroll County: $9,148 per residentCumberland County: $9,140 per residentMenifee County: $9,117 per residentFloyd County: $9,097 per residentLivingston County: $8,981 per residentUnion County: $8,825 per residentAnderson County: $8,715 per residentKnott County: $8,682 per residentOwsley County: $8,541 per residentFayette County: $8,477 per residentWhitley County: $8,471 per residentMagoffin County: $8,391 per residentEdmonson County: $8,274 per residentHarlan County: $8,155 per residentHickman County: $8,117 per residentPike County: $8,097 per residentMarshall County: $8,092 per residentBourbon County: $8,062 per residentBreathitt County: $7,958 per residentMartin County: $7,943 per residentFulton County: $7,834 per residentButler County: $7,808 per residentBoyd County: $7,773 per residentJohnson County: $7,754 per residentCaldwell County: $7,695 per residentBallard County: $7,692 per residentCarlisle County: $7,692 per residentWolfe County: $7,690 per residentPerry County: $7,641 per residentBoyle County: $7,473 per residentHopkins County: $7,454 per residentMuhlenberg County: $7,425 per residentCarter County: $7,386 per residentGreenup County: $7,316 per residentLyon County: $7,306 per residentBell County: $7,222 per residentWayne County: $7,216 per residentPulaski County: $7,134 per residentHenderson County: $7,116 per residentLeslie County: $7,084 per residentNelson County: $7,037 per residentKnox County: $7,029 per residentMcCracken County: $7,007 per residentMadison County: $6,982 per residentMcLean County: $6,973 per residentWebster County: $6,966 per residentRussell County: $6,962 per residentLawrence County: $6,917 per residentShelby County: $6,847 per residentBreckinridge County: $6,838 per residentLaurel County: $6,834 per residentWoodford County: $6,819 per residentCrittenden County: $6,808 per residentGraves County: $6,790 per residentEstill County: $6,763 per residentLee County: $6,759 per residentWashington County: $6,663 per residentElliott County: $6,636 per residentDaviess County: $6,586 per residentLincoln County: $6,530 per residentCalloway County: $6,502 per residentPowell County: $6,500 per residentClay County: $6,498 per residentMercer County: $6,426 per residentMontgomery County: $6,426 per residentFleming County: $6,425 per residentClark County: $6,402 per residentClinton County: $6,396 per residentMetcalfe County: $6,376 per residentBracken County: $6,352 per residentTaylor County: $6,339 per residentHancock County: $6,335 per residentRockcastle County: $6,289 per residentJackson County: $6,282 per residentLogan County: $6,263 per residentAdair County: $6,257 per residentLarue County: $6,250 per residentGreen County: $6,246 per residentHenry County: $6,239 per residentBath County: $6,238 per residentGarrard County: $6,210 per residentJessamine County: $6,167 per residentMarion County: $6,153 per residentHarrison County: $6,123 per residentPendleton County: $6,109 per residentMorgan County: $6,103 per residentOhio County: $6,077 per residentLewis County: $6,023 per residentBarren County: $5,992 per residentMeade County: $5,984 per residentTrimble County: $5,982 per residentAllen County: $5,976 per residentRobertson County: $5,929 per residentKenton County: $5,887 per residentBoone County: $5,877 per residentRowan County: $5,857 per residentCasey County: $5,855 per residentSimpson County: $5,834 per residentGrant County: $5,801 per residentOwen County: $5,758 per residentCampbell County: $5,695 per residentBullitt County: $5,652 per residentTodd County: $5,551 per residentMonroe County: $5,544 per residentSpencer County: $5,528 per residentHart County: $5,242 per residentOldham County: $5,200 per residentNicholas County: $5,191 per residentScott County: $5,069 per residentWarren County: $4,692 per residentGallatin County: $4,522 per resident
low → high per resident, FY2026 this countyKentucky counties; boundaries US Census Bureau.

USAspending caveat. Figures are obligations reported by federal agencies to USAspending.gov, not payments. In USAspending's words: "An outlay occurs when federal money is actually paid out, not just promised to be paid ('obligated')." "Every agency has a Senior Accountable Official who must officially certify that the quarterly financial data submitted by their agency is accurate and complete." "If there are any discrepancies in procurement data, FPDS is the authoritative source." Contract data for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is published with a 90-day delay. Data loaded 30 Sep 2026.

Nelson County, Kentucky, received $345M in federal award obligations in FY2026: $7,037 for each of its 49,036 residents.

That is below the Kentucky rate of $40,449 per resident (17% of it) and below the national rate of $14,744; it ranks 50 of 120 counties in the state.

The FY2026 mix was 86% direct payments, 10% grants.

Obligations were about level on FY2025, and the five-year total since FY2023 is $1.3B.

Over FY2022–FY2025, the largest awarding agencies were Social Security Administration ($941M), Department of Veterans Affairs ($108M) and Department of Transportation ($41M).

$345Mobligations performed in the county, FY2026FY2026 (1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sep 2026) · obligations
$7,037per residentFY2026 · obligationsKentucky: $40,449 · US: $14,744
$1.3Bfive-year totalFY2023–FY2027 to date · obligations
$0FY2027 to dateFY2027, through 30 Sep 2026 · obligations
20awards of $1.0M+ begun here since FY2023FY2023–FY2027

Per resident, by award type FY2026

Per residentThis countyKentuckyUnited States
All award obligations$7,037$40,449$14,744
Contracts$252$1,916$2,007
Grants$703$5,283$3,528
Direct payments$6,062$33,188$9,185
Loans (subsidy cost)$4$6−$16
Other assistance$16$56$40
Rank by per-resident rate50 of 120 in state · 2,018 of 3,144 US3 of 51 states—

Direct payments include Social Security, Medicare and similar benefit records that USAspending attributes to a county; Medicare payments are attributed to the county of the administrative contractor, which can lift or lower a county's rate a great deal. Loans count the subsidy cost, not the face value.

Obligations by fiscal year

$273M
$305M
$333M
$345M
$0
FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026FY2027*
Award obligations with a primary place of performance in Nelson County, by fiscal year and award type. *FY2027 runs to the data date and is incomplete.

Who funds the county FY2022–FY2025

Awarding agencies

Social Security Administration$941M
Department of Veterans Affairs$108M
Department of Transportation$41M
Department of Defense$28M
Railroad Retirement Board$15M
Department of Housing and Urban Development$11M
Department of Agriculture$11M
Department of Homeland Security$4.1M

Assistance programs

96.002 Social Security Retirement Insurance$683M
96.001 Social Security Disability Insurance$143M
96.004 Social Security Survivors Insurance$82M
64.109 Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$81M
20.205 Highway Planning and Construction$41M
96.006 Supplemental Security Income$33M
57.001 Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$15M
64.110 Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$5.7M

Contract industries by NAICS sector

Manufacturing$28M
Administrative, support, waste management and remediation services$4.5M
Construction$461K
Wholesale trade$369K
Health care and social assistance$52K

Cross-tabulations cover the four closed fiscal years FY2022–FY2025 (the 24 largest agencies, 40 largest listings and all NAICS sectors), fetched 18 Sep 2026.

Recipients with the largest awards performed here $1.0M+ awards since FY2023

#Recipient organisationAwardsAward valueShare
1Executive Office of the Commonwealth of Kentucky7$62M67%
2Armag Corp11$24M26%
3Seneca Federal Solutions, LLC1$3.9M4%
4Nelson County Board of Education1$2.8M3%

Largest awards performed in the county

RecipientAwarding agencyTypeAward valueBegunRecord
Executive Office of the Commonwealth of KentuckyDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantFormula Grant (a)$18M20 Aug 2026USAspending
Executive Office of the Commonwealth of KentuckyDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantFormula Grant (a)$15M15 Jun 2023USAspending
Executive Office of the Commonwealth of KentuckyDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantFormula Grant (a)$10M1 Apr 2025USAspending
Executive Office of the Commonwealth of KentuckyDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantFormula Grant (a)$6.8M17 Sep 2024USAspending
Executive Office of the Commonwealth of KentuckyDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantFormula Grant (a)$6.6M12 Mar 2024USAspending
Armag CorpDepartment of DefenseDepartment of the NavyContractDelivery Order$5.2M14 Nov 2025USAspending
Executive Office of the Commonwealth of KentuckyDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantFormula Grant (a)$5.0M25 Jul 2024USAspending
Seneca Federal Solutions, LLCDepartment of DefenseDepartment of the ArmyContractDefinitive Contract$3.9M30 Sep 2025USAspending
Armag CorpDepartment of DefenseDepartment of the ArmyContractDefinitive Contract$3.3M22 Jun 2023USAspending
Nelson County Board of EducationDepartment of EducationGrantProject Grant (B)$2.8M27 Dec 2022USAspending

Congressional districts

DistrictShare of county land areaDistrict FY2026 obligationsPer resident
Kentucky's 2nd congressional district51%$5.2B$6,915
Kentucky's 4th congressional district49%$4.6B$6,081

Other counties in Kentucky

Per-resident rate, FY2026. All counties in Kentucky.

Questions and answers

How much federal spending goes to Nelson County, Kentucky?

$345M in award obligations in FY2026 and $1.3B since FY2023, counting awards whose primary place of performance is in the county. Obligations are commitments, not payments.

How much federal spending per person is that?

$7,037 per resident in FY2026 (population 49,036), against $40,449 for Kentucky and $14,744 nationally. Direct payments such as Social Security and Medicare are included; the table on this page splits the rate by award type.

Which recipients dominate Nelson County, Kentucky?

By the value of $1.0M-plus awards begun since FY2023: Executive Office of the Commonwealth of Kentucky ($62M), Armag Corp ($24M), Seneca Federal Solutions, LLC ($3.9M) and Nelson County Board of Education ($2.8M). Individuals are never listed.

Which agencies fund Nelson County, Kentucky?

Social Security Administration ($941M), Department of Veterans Affairs ($108M), Department of Transportation ($41M), Department of Defense ($28M) and Railroad Retirement Board ($15M), over FY2022–FY2025.

What does "place of performance" mean here?

USAspending records where the work is done or the payment is directed, as reported by the awarding agency. Some awards, especially grants to state governments, carry only a state-level location and are not attributed to any county or district; Medicare payments are attributed to the county of the administrative contractor.

Provenance

Source: USAspending.gov API v2, spending-by-geography (place of performance, county layer) by fiscal year and award type, loaded 30 Sep 2026; award lists from the award search endpoint; cross-tabulations for FY2022–FY2025. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 county estimates (USAspending's population figure where the Census file has none, as for Connecticut's former counties). Boundaries: Census cartographic boundary files (1:20m). Errors in processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections.