Top 5 States Where the US Military Spends the Most Money

3. California

Total Defense Spending in State: $56.2 billion

Share of Overall DoD Spending: 10.06%

California is in third spot, with over $56 billion spent on military expenditure in the state in 2022. $38.1 billion of this amount went into DoD contracts, while $17.2 billion were expensed on payrolls. Another $867 million were spent on DoD grants. California hosts around 50 military installations, according to the DoD.