Washington vs California Budget FY2021
Spending, revenue and category allocations compared side by side.
Key Budget Metrics โ Washington vs California
Washington
$60.8 billion
California
$498.9 billion
Washington
$24.6 billion
California
$162.1 billion
Washington
โ
California
โ
Washington
$26.8 billion
California
$186.2 billion
Washington
-$1 million
California
$52.5 billion
Washington
$895.0 billion
California
$4.25 trillion
Receipts & Expenditure Comparison
| Particulars | Washington | California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditure (all funds) | $60.8 billion | $498.9 billion | -87.8% |
| General Fund Expenditure | $24.6 billion | $162.1 billion | -84.8% |
| Total Revenue | โ | โ | โ |
| General Fund Revenue | $26.8 billion | $186.2 billion | -85.6% |
| Rainy Day Fund | -$1 million | $52.5 billion | -100.0% |
| State GDP | $895.0 billion | $4.25 trillion | -78.9% |
Washington per resident
$7,605
California per resident
$12,675
Washington โ Spending Composition
California โ Spending Composition
Category-wise Allocation โ Washington vs California
| Category | Washington | California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
1. All Other | $17.1 billion | $224.6 billion | -92.4% |
2. Medicaid | $15.6 billion | $113.1 billion | -86.2% |
3. K-12 Education | $15.9 billion | $93.0 billion | -82.9% |
4. Higher Education | $7.7 billion | $24.3 billion | -68.5% |
5. Transportation | $2.9 billion | $17.0 billion | -82.7% |
6. Corrections | $1.4 billion | $15.5 billion | -91.0% |
7. Public Assistance | $222 million | $11.3 billion | -98.0% |
Compare Another Fiscal Year
Understanding This Comparison
State budgets are compared on an all-funds basis โ the total across the general fund, federal grants, and dedicated state funds. This is the fairer measure, because states differ widely in how much they route outside the general fund. The general fund row shows the discretionary portion that state legislatures actually debate.
Fiscal years differ between states: most run July to June, Alabama and Michigan run October to September, and New York runs April to March. Figures labelled with the same fiscal year therefore cover slightly different periods.
Definitions for every term used here are in the US budget glossary. To compare across countries, see India budget comparisons.
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