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Federal Spending in Cook County, IL
Federal agencies obligated $35.97B in Cook County in fiscal year 2026, the most of any county in Illinois.
- Total, FY 2026
- $35.97B
- -6.7% from FY 2025
- Per person
- $6,818
- IL average: $7,865
- Contracts
- $4.32B
- Grants
- $3.06B
How the money is awarded
Fiscal year 2026, share of Cook County federal obligations
- Contracts$4.32B12.0%
- Grants$3.06B8.5%
- Direct payments$28.67B79.7%
- Loans (subsidy cost)-$98.08M0.0%
- Insurance and other$21.35M0.1%
Top federal recipients in Cook County
Fiscal year 2026, all award types, by place of performance
- 1Chicago Housing Authority$1.21B
- 2Medline Industries, LP$943M
- 3Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation$630M
- 4Northwestern University$538M
- 5City of Chicago$528M
- 6Bp Products North America INC.$483M
- 7The University of Chicago$360M
- 8Illinois Department of Transportation$337M
- 9Ddb Chicago INC.$323M
- 10University of Illinois$291M
Compared with other Illinois counties
Fiscal year 2026, largest first
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | County | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cook CountyThis county | $35.97B | $6,818 |
| 2 | Dupage County | $8.6B | $9,224 |
| 3 | Lake County | $5B | $7,004 |
| 4 | Will County | $3.92B | $5,636 |
| 5 | Kane County | $3.36B | $6,498 |
| 6 | Sangamon County | $3.28B | $16,718 |
| 7 | Rock Island County | $3.12B | $21,548 |
| 8 | St. Clair County | $2.61B | $10,147 |
| 9 | Winnebago County | $2.51B | $8,797 |
| 10 | Mchenry County | $1.9B | $6,123 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much federal money goes to Cook County?
- In fiscal year 2026, federal agencies obligated $35,971,270,585 for work done or benefits received in Cook County, about $6,818 per resident.
- Who receives the most federal money in Cook County?
- The largest recipients were CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY ($1.21B), MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP ($943M), NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION ($630M).
- What are direct payments?
- Direct payments are federal money paid straight to people or organizations, such as Social Security, farm payments and some disaster aid. In Cook County they totaled $28.67B in fiscal year 2026.
Source: USAspending.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury · Last updated 09/30/2026 · Per-person figures use a population of 5,275,541.