Fed Spend Map

States › North Carolina › McDowell County

County · North Carolina · FIPS 37111

Federal spending in McDowell County, NC

Population 45,198 (2025 estimate) · per-resident rank 31 of 100 counties in North Carolina · congressional district NC-11

Tyrrell County: $60,326 per residentYancey County: $41,290 per residentHaywood County: $27,889 per residentDurham County: $17,923 per residentMitchell County: $14,382 per residentDare County: $13,892 per residentPasquotank County: $13,601 per residentGraham County: $12,413 per residentCumberland County: $11,962 per residentBrunswick County: $11,542 per residentCraven County: $11,204 per residentSwain County: $11,073 per residentHenderson County: $10,970 per residentPolk County: $10,865 per residentJones County: $10,794 per residentCherokee County: $10,586 per residentOnslow County: $10,578 per residentPamlico County: $10,288 per residentChowan County: $10,267 per residentOrange County: $10,236 per residentNorthampton County: $10,054 per residentRutherford County: $9,957 per residentBeaufort County: $9,762 per residentMoore County: $9,651 per residentHertford County: $9,589 per residentWashington County: $9,526 per residentCarteret County: $9,270 per residentPerquimans County: $9,249 per residentTransylvania County: $9,152 per residentClay County: $9,008 per residentMcDowell County: $8,941 per residentAlleghany County: $8,925 per residentBertie County: $8,755 per residentRichmond County: $8,711 per residentGates County: $8,710 per residentBuncombe County: $8,669 per residentBladen County: $8,633 per residentCaswell County: $8,564 per residentHalifax County: $8,448 per residentMacon County: $8,402 per residentMartin County: $8,343 per residentHoke County: $8,238 per residentRobeson County: $8,203 per residentColumbus County: $8,135 per residentRockingham County: $8,088 per residentCamden County: $8,075 per residentLenoir County: $7,956 per residentNew Hanover County: $7,850 per residentWake County: $7,834 per residentHyde County: $7,814 per residentLee County: $7,789 per residentScotland County: $7,678 per residentAvery County: $7,615 per residentVance County: $7,603 per residentChatham County: $7,543 per residentAshe County: $7,490 per residentDavie County: $7,478 per residentStokes County: $7,458 per residentEdgecombe County: $7,419 per residentWilkes County: $7,411 per residentWayne County: $7,398 per residentCurrituck County: $7,384 per residentNash County: $7,264 per residentAnson County: $7,251 per residentWilson County: $7,239 per residentRowan County: $7,061 per residentCatawba County: $6,980 per residentPender County: $6,976 per residentForsyth County: $6,962 per residentPerson County: $6,939 per residentDuplin County: $6,929 per residentCaldwell County: $6,927 per residentYadkin County: $6,897 per residentCleveland County: $6,879 per residentMontgomery County: $6,778 per residentBurke County: $6,691 per residentIredell County: $6,618 per residentAlexander County: $6,581 per residentGuilford County: $6,551 per residentSurry County: $6,538 per residentSampson County: $6,409 per residentStanly County: $6,289 per residentGranville County: $6,244 per residentWatauga County: $6,218 per residentJackson County: $6,175 per residentPitt County: $6,166 per residentDavidson County: $6,163 per residentRandolph County: $6,159 per residentLincoln County: $6,121 per residentGaston County: $6,119 per residentHarnett County: $6,090 per residentGreene County: $5,835 per residentJohnston County: $5,736 per residentFranklin County: $5,638 per residentAlamance County: $5,636 per residentWarren County: $5,470 per residentMadison County: $5,003 per residentCabarrus County: $4,767 per residentUnion County: $4,705 per residentMecklenburg County: $4,405 per resident
low → high per resident, FY2026 this countyNorth Carolina 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.

In FY2026, $404M in federal awards named McDowell County, North Carolina, as the primary place of performance, $8,941 per resident.

That is in line with the North Carolina rate of $11,050 per resident and below the national rate of $14,744; it ranks 31 of 100 counties in the state.

The FY2026 mix was 78% direct payments, 26% grants.

Obligations were down 46% on FY2025, and the five-year total since FY2023 is $1.8B.

Over FY2022–FY2025, the largest awarding agencies were Social Security Administration ($1.0B), Department of Defense ($371M) and Department of Veterans Affairs ($158M).

$404Mobligations performed in the county, FY2026FY2026 (1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sep 2026) · obligations
$8,941per residentFY2026 · obligationsNorth Carolina: $11,050 · US: $14,744
$1.8Bfive-year totalFY2023–FY2027 to date · obligations
$0FY2027 to dateFY2027, through 30 Sep 2026 · obligations
34awards of $1.0M+ begun here since FY2023FY2023–FY2027

Per resident, by award type FY2026

Per residentThis countyNorth CarolinaUnited States
All award obligations$8,941$11,050$14,744
Contracts−$324$459$2,007
Grants$2,283$4,010$3,528
Direct payments$6,965$6,546$9,185
Loans (subsidy cost)$4$1−$16
Other assistance$12$35$40
Rank by per-resident rate31 of 100 in state · 913 of 3,144 US40 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

$322M
$319M
$742M
$404M
$0
FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026FY2027*
Award obligations with a primary place of performance in McDowell 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$1.0B
Department of Defense$371M
Department of Veterans Affairs$158M
Department of Transportation$41M
Department of Agriculture$13M
Department of Education$13M
Department of Health and Human Services$9.7M
Department of Homeland Security$9.1M

Assistance programs

96.002 Social Security Retirement Insurance$773M
96.001 Social Security Disability Insurance$167M
64.109 Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$102M
96.004 Social Security Survivors Insurance$67M
96.006 Supplemental Security Income$42M
20.205 Highway Planning and Construction$24M
64.110 Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$12M
93.600 Head Start$8.5M

Contract industries by NAICS sector

Administrative, support, waste management and remediation services$370M
Construction$22M
Health care and social assistance$5.9M
Real estate and rental and leasing$654K
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting$336K

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
1Ashbritt Inc2$233M48%
2Transportation North Carolina Department16$97M20%
3JBW Group LLC4$90M19%
4Eclipse Companies, LLC1$30M6%
5Central Southern Construction Corp.2$11M2%
6MC Dowell County Board of Education2$9.1M2%
7County of MC Dowell1$5.4M1%
8Autumn Corporation2$2.6M1%
9Bryant's Land and Development Industries, Inc.1$2.4M0%
10McDowell Technical Community College1$2.2M0%

Largest awards performed in the county

RecipientAwarding agencyTypeAward valueBegunRecord
Ashbritt IncDepartment of DefenseDepartment of the ArmyContractDelivery Order$216M18 Feb 2025USAspending
JBW Group LLCDepartment of DefenseDepartment of the ArmyContractDelivery Order$45M8 Aug 2025USAspending
Eclipse Companies, LLCDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationContractDelivery Order$30M17 Dec 2025USAspending
JBW Group LLCDepartment of DefenseDepartment of the ArmyContractDefinitive Contract$28M12 Aug 2025USAspending
Transportation North Carolina DepartmentDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantProject Grant (B)$21M11 Jun 2025USAspending
Ashbritt IncDepartment of DefenseDepartment of the ArmyContractDelivery Order$17M30 Oct 2024USAspending
Transportation North Carolina DepartmentDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantFormula Grant (a)$14M16 Jun 2023USAspending
JBW Group LLCDepartment of DefenseDepartment of the ArmyContractDelivery Order$12M10 Apr 2025USAspending
Transportation North Carolina DepartmentDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantProject Grant (B)$11M24 Oct 2025USAspending
Transportation North Carolina DepartmentDepartment of TransportationFederal Highway AdministrationGrantProject Grant (B)$9.4M22 Dec 2025USAspending

Congressional districts

DistrictShare of county land areaDistrict FY2026 obligationsPer resident
North Carolina's 11th congressional district100%$8.8B$11,723

Other counties in North Carolina

Per-resident rate, FY2026. All counties in North Carolina.

Questions and answers

How much federal spending goes to McDowell County, North Carolina?

$404M in award obligations in FY2026 and $1.8B 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?

$8,941 per resident in FY2026 (population 45,198), against $11,050 for North Carolina 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 McDowell County, North Carolina?

By the value of $1.0M-plus awards begun since FY2023: Ashbritt Inc ($233M), Transportation North Carolina Department ($97M), JBW Group LLC ($90M), Eclipse Companies, LLC ($30M) and Central Southern Construction Corp. ($11M). Individuals are never listed.

Which agencies fund McDowell County, North Carolina?

Social Security Administration ($1.0B), Department of Defense ($371M), Department of Veterans Affairs ($158M), Department of Transportation ($41M) and Department of Agriculture ($13M), 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.