Glassbox VA · geography

What VA reports spending in each state, next to what the award record shows.

VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics publishes the Geographic Distribution of VA Expenditures (GDX) every year. This page lines it up, state by state and category by category, with the obligations VA reported to USAspending.gov — only where the two measure the same programs. In FY2023, the compared categories cover $162.9B of the $284.7B GDX reports for the states, DC, Puerto Rico and Guam; USAspending shows $159.8B for the same categories (98.1%).

In FY2023, excluding construction, all 156 compared state-category cells agree within tolerance; the largest gap is Connecticut (Education & Vocational Rehabilitation/Employment), $10.1M or 1.2% of its compared GDX.

Construction is excluded from the gap by default because it is only partly comparable (multi-year obligations against annual expenditures; its FY2023 tolerance band is 92.9%–7424%). The categories in the gap are Compensation & Pension, Education & Vocational Rehabilitation/Employment, Insurance & Indemnities. A gap is a difference between two public measures (expenditures and obligations) to review, not a finding. For FY2023, VA states that GDX took Compensation & Pension and Education figures from USAspending itself, so agreement in those categories is expected, not independent confirmation.

Reconciliation gap · FY2023 · construction excluded

Sum of |USAspending − GDX| over the compared categories, as a share of the state's GDX in those categories. Dark = the two sources agree; bright = a larger gap.

Gap as a share of compared GDX · fixed breaks, the same every year

Under 0.1%
0.1%–0.5%
0.5%–1%
1%–2%
2%–5%
5%–15%
15% or more
No compared category this year

Source: VA NCVAS GDX FY2023 (GDX_FY23.xlsx) · USAspending.gov award data archive (VA, agency 036), net obligations by action-date FY · states, DC, Puerto Rico and Guam · figures by state in the table below.

FY2023 at a glance

Compared state × category cells within tolerance (all compared categories, construction included): 183 of 187
Variances to review: 4 in 4 states

GDX FY2023: Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, May 2024 · GDX_FY23.xlsx. USAspending transactions loaded for all 12 months of FY2023: assistance yes, contracts yes.

How this comparison is built

Like-for-like only: same state, same federal fiscal year (October–September), same category. USAspending programs are mapped to GDX categories by a published crosswalk.
Compared: Compensation & Pension, Education & VR&E, Insurance, and Construction (partly comparable). Not compared: Medical Care, General Operating Expenses, Loan Guaranty and Memorial Benefits — they are mostly VA payroll and operating cost, or are booked in ways that have no award counterpart.
GDX reports expenditures (money spent); USAspending reports obligations (commitments). A difference is listed as a variance to review only when the ratio sits outside the tolerance band derived from all states that year and exceeds 5 points and $1M.
For FY2012–FY2023 VA states that GDX Compensation & Pension and E&VRE were taken from USAspending.gov, so agreement in those years is expected rather than independent confirmation.

Full methodology, crosswalk and sources →

GDX expenditure: VA's estimate of money spent in the fiscal year, by state (an expenditure measure, closer to outlays than to obligations; VA notes it can differ from both), from VA's Geographic Distribution of VA Expenditures report.
USAspending obligations: Net obligations recorded on USAspending.gov in the same fiscal year (sum of every transaction's federal action obligation), for the programs mapped to the same GDX category.
Coverage ratio: USAspending ÷ GDX. 100% means the award record accounts for the same dollars VA reports as spent. Obligations and expenditures are different measures, so exact agreement is not expected.

National · FY2023

Category by category

National figures sum every GDX geography (including rows VA lists as other territories, foreign or unknown). The tolerance band is set per category from the spread of all states' ratios; the national ratio shows definitional and timing differences that move every state together and therefore flag none.

Category	GDX expenditure	USAspending obligations	National ratio	Tolerance band (median)	States	Comparability
Compensation & Pension	$145.6B	$145.6B	100.0%	100.0%–100.0% (100.0%)	53 within · 0 to review	Compared
Education & Vocational Rehabilitation/Employment	$12.4B	$11.9B	95.6%	88.0%–103.0% (95.7%)	53 within · 0 to review	Compared
Insurance & Indemnities	$638M	$640M	100.4%	100.0%–100.0% (100.0%)	50 within · 0 to review	Compared
Construction	$4.2B	$2.0B	47.2%	92.9%–7424% (752.7%)	27 within · 4 to review	Partly comparable (directional)
Medical Care	$109.0B	—	—	—	Not comparable	Not compared
General Operating Expenses	$12.7B	—	—	—	Not comparable	Not compared
Loan Guaranty	$25.3M	—	—	—	Not comparable	Not compared

Variances to review · FY2023

Where the two sources differ beyond tolerance

Each row is a state and category whose ratio sits outside the band set by all states that year, by at least 5 points and $1M. The structural explanation lists the known reasons two correct datasets differ; none is a finding.

State	Category	GDX	USAspending	Ratio	Structural explanation
Illinois	Construction	$2.1B	$189M	9.2%	Construction is obligated up front and spent over several years; single-year ratios swing with project phasing. USAspending below GDX can reflect items GDX draws from VA's financial systems that have no award row, or rows without a usable state.
California	Construction	$1.3B	$40.8M	3.1%	Construction is obligated up front and spent over several years; single-year ratios swing with project phasing. USAspending below GDX can reflect items GDX draws from VA's financial systems that have no award row, or rows without a usable state.
District of Columbia	Construction	$753M	$6.0M	0.8%	Construction is obligated up front and spent over several years; single-year ratios swing with project phasing. National and headquarters contracts are often performed or booked in the Washington, D.C. area. USAspending below GDX can reflect items GDX draws from VA's financial systems that have no award row, or rows without a usable state.
Massachusetts	Construction	$1.2M	$230M	19548%	Construction is obligated up front and spent over several years; single-year ratios swing with project phasing. USAspending obligations above GDX expenditures can reflect obligations recorded this year and paid next year, or prior-year adjustments.

All states · FY2023

The figures behind the map

The same data as the map, for screen readers and for checking. Select a state for its category detail and multi-year trend.

GDX expenditures and USAspending obligations by state for FY2023, compared categories only, with coverage ratio, reconciliation gap (construction excluded) and variance count.
State	GDX total (all categories)	GDX, compared	USAspending, compared	Coverage ratio	Gap ($), excl. construction	Gap (share)	Variances to review
Alabama	$5.9B	$3.9B	$3.9B	99.9%	$5.6M	0.14%	0 of 3
Alaska	$1.0B	$576M	$589M	102.1%	$1.2M	0.20%	0 of 4
Arizona	$6.7B	$3.8B	$3.8B	99.7%	$14.0M	0.37%	0 of 3
Arkansas	$3.4B	$1.9B	$1.9B	100.3%	$3.0M	0.16%	0 of 4
California	$25.2B	$14.8B	$13.5B	90.9%	$61.2M	0.45%	1 of 4
Colorado	$6.2B	$3.4B	$3.4B	101.0%	$10.8M	0.32%	0 of 4
Connecticut	$1.8B	$846M	$848M	100.3%	$10.1M	1.2%	0 of 4
Delaware	$803M	$476M	$474M	99.6%	$2.0M	0.43%	0 of 3
District of Columbia	$10.3B	$941M	$194M	20.6%	$680K	0.36%	1 of 3
Florida	$22.6B	$13.6B	$13.7B	100.7%	$47.0M	0.35%	0 of 4
Georgia	$10.9B	$7.4B	$7.5B	100.8%	$13.6M	0.18%	0 of 4
Guam	$185M	$128M	$128M	99.9%	$165K	0.13%	0 of 2
Hawaii	$1.5B	$960M	$954M	99.4%	$6.3M	0.66%	0 of 3
Idaho	$1.7B	$993M	$991M	99.7%	$3.0M	0.30%	0 of 3
Illinois	$8.0B	$5.5B	$3.6B	65.7%	$20.5M	0.59%	1 of 4
Indiana	$4.5B	$2.3B	$2.3B	100.2%	$8.1M	0.35%	0 of 4
Iowa	$2.3B	$1.1B	$1.1B	99.6%	$5.3M	0.47%	0 of 3
Kansas	$2.4B	$1.3B	$1.3B	99.7%	$4.0M	0.31%	0 of 3
Kentucky	$3.9B	$2.1B	$2.1B	100.1%	$5.1M	0.24%	0 of 4
Louisiana	$4.1B	$2.3B	$2.3B	100.1%	$4.6M	0.20%	0 of 4
Maine	$1.6B	$887M	$883M	99.6%	$3.3M	0.38%	0 of 3
Maryland	$4.8B	$3.1B	$3.1B	99.9%	$12.6M	0.41%	0 of 4
Massachusetts	$3.8B	$1.9B	$2.1B	111.3%	$15.3M	0.81%	1 of 4
Michigan	$6.3B	$3.5B	$3.5B	101.1%	$19.6M	0.57%	0 of 4
Minnesota	$4.1B	$1.9B	$1.9B	99.4%	$12.3M	0.64%	0 of 3
Mississippi	$2.9B	$1.6B	$1.6B	99.9%	$2.0M	0.12%	0 of 3
Missouri	$5.7B	$3.0B	$3.1B	103.7%	$10.4M	0.35%	0 of 4
Montana	$1.4B	$695M	$692M	99.7%	$2.5M	0.36%	0 of 3
Nebraska	$1.8B	$985M	$1.0B	106.3%	$3.6M	0.37%	0 of 4
Nevada	$3.7B	$2.1B	$2.1B	99.8%	$4.4M	0.22%	0 of 3
New Hampshire	$1.2B	$600M	$598M	99.6%	$2.7M	0.45%	0 of 3
New Jersey	$3.2B	$2.0B	$2.0B	99.1%	$19.5M	0.97%	0 of 3
New Mexico	$2.3B	$1.3B	$1.3B	99.7%	$4.8M	0.37%	0 of 3
New York	$8.2B	$4.1B	$4.1B	101.0%	$34.1M	0.84%	0 of 4
North Carolina	$12.1B	$7.9B	$7.9B	100.0%	$18.9M	0.24%	0 of 4
North Dakota	$672M	$348M	$360M	103.6%	$596K	0.17%	0 of 4
Ohio	$8.5B	$4.2B	$4.2B	100.1%	$17.7M	0.42%	0 of 4
Oklahoma	$5.3B	$3.3B	$3.3B	100.1%	$4.9M	0.15%	0 of 4
Oregon	$4.0B	$2.1B	$2.1B	99.7%	$7.8M	0.37%	0 of 3
Pennsylvania	$8.2B	$4.2B	$4.2B	100.0%	$25.8M	0.61%	0 of 4
Puerto Rico	$2.2B	$1.3B	$1.3B	100.1%	$1.4M	0.11%	0 of 3
Rhode Island	$766M	$373M	$371M	99.6%	$1.8M	0.48%	0 of 3
South Carolina	$6.4B	$4.2B	$4.2B	100.2%	$10.9M	0.26%	0 of 4
South Dakota	$1.1B	$484M	$500M	103.4%	$1.2M	0.25%	0 of 4
Tennessee	$7.2B	$4.3B	$4.3B	100.5%	$11.3M	0.26%	0 of 4
Texas	$27.7B	$18.2B	$18.4B	101.4%	$42.5M	0.23%	0 of 4
Utah	$1.8B	$1.0B	$1.1B	101.3%	$2.5M	0.24%	0 of 4
Vermont	$486M	$228M	$227M	99.5%	$1.4M	0.60%	0 of 3
Virginia	$9.9B	$7.1B	$7.1B	100.0%	$19.8M	0.28%	0 of 4
Washington	$6.5B	$4.1B	$4.1B	99.6%	$15.5M	0.38%	0 of 3
West Virginia	$2.4B	$1.2B	$1.2B	99.8%	$3.3M	0.29%	0 of 4
Wisconsin	$4.3B	$2.1B	$2.1B	101.8%	$10.5M	0.50%	0 of 4
Wyoming	$776M	$347M	$347M	99.9%	$316K	0.09%	0 of 2

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Source: VA NCVAS GDX FY2023 · USAspending.gov award data archive (VA, agency 036)