Mapping the United States of Welfare
 

Mapping the Most Expensive Welfare States in the Country

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"When was the last time you stopped to think about how much the government spends on welfare? Most people probably don’t think about it too much, but we bet even for those who do, they don’t know how much their government spends, much less what the money actually pays for. That’s why we created a new map showing you how much each state spends on the public dole."

"Here’s an interesting fact for you. The top ten states listed above spend more on public welfare ($346.9B) than all of the bottom forty states (plus the District of Columbia) combined ($262.7B). Regardless of how populated any particular state is, you want to pay attention to these numbers because they foreshadow future budget problems. When you consider the fact that many states run operating deficits and have enormous debt problems, you begin to wonder if some of these numbers are sustainable for the long term."