The State Most Impacted by Government Shutdown, According to New Study
The shutdown of the United States federal government has now entered its third week as politicians from both major parties continue to battle over health care subsidies, foreign aid and other budgetary matters.
While some parts of the government have slowed or stopped under the shutdown, other essential agencies and services remain open. All 50 U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C., are affected by the stoppage, some moreso than others.
WalletHub published a new study on Wednesday detailing the states most and least impacted by the shutdown. The personal finance company measured each state, plus D.C., on five key metrics:
- Share of federal jobs
- Federal contract dollars per capita
- Percentage of families receiving SNAP benefits
- Real estate as percentage of Gross State Product
- Access to national parks
When all the numbers were crunched, Washington, D.C. was unsurprisingly most affected, with Hawaii coming in at No. 2. New Mexico, Alaska and Maryland rounded out the top five.
“The latest government shutdown makes life stressful for people across the U.S., but places like D.C. and Hawaii, where a high percentage of residents work directly for the government or have government contracts, are getting hit the hardest," says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
The 10 states most affected by the shutdown
- Washington, D.C.
- Hawaii
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- Maryland
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Arizona
D.C. feeling the pain hardest
As the literal home base of the federal government, it's no surprise that Washington, D.C. is tied for the most federal contract dollars per capita and highest number of federal jobs.
The District also has the second-highest percentage of families on SNAP, trailing only New Mexico, and is dead last in real estate as percentage of Gross State Product.
"While this program (SNAP) is still operating during the shutdown, a prolonged deadlock could lead to it running out of money, putting people’s lives at risk," WalletHub said.
The one category where D.C. does well is in its access to national parks, checking in at No. 3 behind Alaska and Wyoming.
You can view the full findings of WalletHub's study here.