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Federal Spending in Durham County, NC
Federal agencies obligated $6.28B in Durham County in fiscal year 2026, 2nd highest of 100 counties in North Carolina.
- Total, FY 2026
- $6.28B
- +2.5% from FY 2025
- Per person
- $19,335
- NC average: $8,884
- Contracts
- $1.14B
- Grants
- $813M
How the money is awarded
Fiscal year 2026, share of Durham County federal obligations
- Contracts$1.14B18.1%
- Grants$813M13.0%
- Direct payments$4.21B67.1%
- Loans (subsidy cost)$687K0.0%
- Insurance and other$116M1.8%
Top federal recipients in Durham County
Fiscal year 2026, all award types, by place of performance
- 1Duke University$617M
- 2Research Triangle Institute$542M
- 3Lc Industries INC$132M
- 4General Dynamics Information Technology, INC.$130M
- 5Family Health International$87.72M
- 6Salient Crgt, INC.$73.28M
- 7North Carolina Central University$60.29M
- 8Housing Authority of the City of Durham$42.61M
- 9University of Massachusetts Medical School$41.42M
- 10Glaxosmithkline, LLC$40.43M
Compared with other North Carolina counties
Fiscal year 2026, largest first
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | County | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake County | $9.83B | $8,702 |
| 2 | Durham CountyThis county | $6.28B | $19,335 |
| 3 | Mecklenburg County | $5.43B | $4,872 |
| 4 | Cumberland County | $4.08B | $12,193 |
| 5 | Guilford County | $3.69B | $6,810 |
| 6 | Forsyth County | $2.78B | $7,278 |
| 7 | Buncombe County | $2.38B | $8,849 |
| 8 | Onslow County | $2.33B | $11,391 |
| 9 | Brunswick County | $2.03B | $14,846 |
| 10 | New Hanover County | $1.93B | $8,550 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much federal money goes to Durham County?
- In fiscal year 2026, federal agencies obligated $6,280,559,907 for work done or benefits received in Durham County, about $19,335 per resident.
- Who receives the most federal money in Durham County?
- The largest recipients were DUKE UNIVERSITY ($617M), RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE ($542M), LC INDUSTRIES INC ($132M).
- 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 Durham County they totaled $4.21B 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 324,833.