San Benito County ranked last among California’s 58 counties in
receiving per capita, direct payments from the federal government,
according to the most recent data available as published by the
U.S. Department of Commerce. The data for California revealed that
San Benito County received a total of $233.35 million
– or $4,238 per resident – in direct federal payments in fiscal
year 2009, the last year with information available on such
funding.
San Benito County ranked last among California’s 58 counties in receiving per capita, direct payments from the federal government, according to the most recent data available as published by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The information is contained in the Consolidated Federal Funds Report published by the Economics and Statistics Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, a subdivision of the census bureau.
The data for California revealed that San Benito County received a total of $233.35 million – or $4,238 per resident – in direct federal payments in fiscal year 2009, the last year with information available on such funding. The per capita amount for San Benito County represents about $1,000 – for each resident – less than the $5,238 received by Riverside County, the next lowest in the state at No. 57, according to the data that includes the latest population numbers from the 2010 census.
Additionally, San Benito received $4,297 less per capita than the $8,535 state average for counties. If it had attained the overall state average for counties of $8,535 per capita, there could have had an additional economic infusion of an estimated $236.6 million into the local economy.
The report tracked federal fund disbursements in five areas and their totals by state and county. It also established a reporting population base in each county for the period. The San Benito County population base was 55,058. Sacramento County was excluded from the analysis because its function as the capital, of receiving and re-dispersing some federal grant funds, distorts the averages.
The five specific areas covered by the report are: retirement and disability payments; other direct payments; grants; procurement; and salaries and wages.
The per capita intake of San Benito County was the lowest in the entire state in two of those areas – for grant funding and for retirement and disability – and it was the second lowest in other direct payments. The county was number 47 of 58 in federal wages and salaries, and it was ranked 23 in procurement.
The funding to San Benito County by category, compared with state averages, includes the following:
In regard to federal grant funding, San Benito’s per capita grant figure was $925 compared with the state average of $2,044.
Retirement and disability funding was at $1,784 per capita versus the state average of $2,830.
In the category of other direct payments, the county received $947 per capita versus a state average of $1,964.
Federal wages and salaries were $212 per capita versus a state average of $875.
And federal procurement within the county was $368 per capita versus the state average of $821.
While these numbers do not include all federal funding, some of which is distributed through the state, it is an indicator of the county’s standing relative to other counties in the contest for direct federal funding.
The big winners in per capita funding were not always the biggest counties. San Francisco City and County had the second highest total, more than $21,470 per capita. But Modoc County – with a population of 9,107 – did even better while receiving $25,000 per capita.
Other small counties did well, too. Plumas County received $11,026 per capita. Del Norte had $11,055. Yuba had $11,062. And Alpine came away with $14,124.
Several counties similar in population to San Benito – Tuolumne, Tehama, and Lake County – each had total federal per capita receipts of about twice that in San Benito County.
Also of particular note was San Benito County’s statewide low of $925 per capita for grants when compared with counties of similar populations or counties in the local area.
The average grant disbursement for the eight counties with similar populations was $1,840 per capita. The average grant disbursement for the five counties that border San Benito was $1,963. In both cases, this represents a minimum grant shortfall of $50 million for San Benito County.
Look back for more on this story, including reaction.
