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Federal Spending in Stearns County, MN
Federal agencies obligated $1.1B in Stearns County in fiscal year 2026, 8th highest of 87 counties in Minnesota.
- Total, FY 2026
- $1.1B
- -0.7% from FY 2025
- Per person
- $6,978
- MN average: $37,059
- Contracts
- $119M
- Grants
- $27.4M
How the money is awarded
Fiscal year 2026, share of Stearns County federal obligations
- Contracts$119M10.8%
- Grants$27.4M2.5%
- Direct payments$952M86.2%
- Loans (subsidy cost)$317K0.0%
- Insurance and other$5.67M0.5%
Top federal recipients in Stearns County
Fiscal year 2026, all award types, by place of performance
- 1Associated Milk Producers INC$64.69M
- 2American Public University System, INC.$58.85M
- 3Minnesota Department of Transportation$17.17M
- 4The Housing and Redevelopment Authority of St. Cloud, Minnesota$13.56M
- 5Minnesota State Colleges and Universities$13.45M
- 6New Flyer of America INC.$12.04M
- 7Dax Safety & Staffing Solutions, LLC$11.12M
- 8Minnesota State Colleges & Universities$9.93M
- 9Mdm Construction LLC$4.76M
- 10Reach Up Head Start$4.56M
Compared with other Minnesota counties
Fiscal year 2026, largest first
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | County | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hennepin County | $173B | $134,694 |
| 2 | Dakota County | $6.58B | $14,956 |
| 3 | Ramsey County | $4.45B | $8,048 |
| 4 | St. Louis County | $2.68B | $13,363 |
| 5 | Anoka County | $2.29B | $6,288 |
| 6 | Washington County | $1.63B | $6,106 |
| 7 | Olmsted County | $1.29B | $7,952 |
| 8 | Stearns CountyThis county | $1.1B | $6,978 |
| 9 | Wright County | $760M | $5,376 |
| 10 | Scott County | $716M | $4,747 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much federal money goes to Stearns County?
- In fiscal year 2026, federal agencies obligated $1,104,519,872 for work done or benefits received in Stearns County, about $6,978 per resident.
- Who receives the most federal money in Stearns County?
- The largest recipients were ASSOCIATED MILK PRODUCERS INC ($64.69M), AMERICAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, INC. ($58.85M), MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ($17.17M).
- 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 Stearns County they totaled $952M 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 158,292.