How Much Does Your State Spend on Law Enforcement?

With the nation experiencing weeks of protests and unrest since the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, police departments across the country are in the spotlight like never before. There have even been calls from coast to coast to defund the police, which would involve taking money from state and local police and reinvesting it in communities, mental health services, and social services programs. Given the calls to reassess how much public funding is being spent on police protection, we took a closer look at annual state spending per person on law enforcement, including spending by local governments within each state, using 2017 data, the most recent available from the Tax Policy Center.

Note: Figures have been rounded for display purposes; totals were calculated using non-rounded figures.

Total police budget: $829 million
Total number of residents: 4.5 million
Per capita spending on police: $186

Total police budget: $1.3 billion
Total number of residents: 6.6 million
Per capita spending on police: $200

Total police budget: $395 million
Total number of residents: 1.8 million
Per capita spending on police: $217

Total police budget: $671 million
Total number of residents: 3 million
Per capita spending on police: $224

Total police budget: $310 million
Total number of residents: 1.3 million
Per capita spending on police: $232

Total police budget: $743 million
Total number of residents: 3.1 million
Per capita spending on police: $239

Total police budget: $210 million
Total number of residents: 873,000
Per capita spending on police: $241

Total police budget: $2.6 billion
Total number of residents: 10 million
Per capita spending on police: $255

Total police budget: $767 million
Total number of residents: 3 million
Per capita spending on police: $257

Total police budget: $813 million
Total number of residents: 3.1 million
Per capita spending on police: $259

Total police budget: $498 million
Total number of residents: 1.9 million
Per capita spending on police: $260

Total police budget: $1.3 billion
Total number of residents: 4.9 million
Per capita spending on police: $261

Total police budget: $1.3 billion
Total number of residents: 5 million
Per capita spending on police: $261

Total police budget: $2.7 billion
Total number of residents: 10.4 million
Per capita spending on police: $262

Total police budget: $454 million
Total number of residents: 1.7 million
Per capita spending on police: $264

Total police budget: $1.1 billion
Total number of residents: 3.9 million
Per capita spending on police: $266

Total police budget: $2.1 billion
Total number of residents: 7.4 million
Per capita spending on police: $277

Total police budget: $8.2 billion
Total number of residents: 28.3 million
Per capita spending on police: $289

Total police budget: $2 billion
Total number of residents: 6.7 million
Per capita spending on police: $295

Total police budget: $862 million
Total number of residents: 2.9 million
Per capita spending on police: $296

Total police budget: $1.8 billion
Total number of residents: 6.1 million
Per capita spending on police: $296

Total police budget: $2.5 billion
Total number of residents: 8.5 million
Per capita spending on police: $298

Total police budget: $315 million
Total number of residents: 1.1 million
Per capita spending on police: $299

Total police budget: $3.9 billion
Total number of residents: 12.8 million
Per capita spending on police: $302

Total police budget: $232 million
Total number of residents: 755,000
Per capita spending on police: $307

Total police budget: $420 million
Total number of residents: 1.4 million
Per capita spending on police: $311

Total police budget: $3.2 billion
Total number of residents: 10.3 million
Per capita spending on police: $313

Total police budget: $1.9 billion
Total number of residents: 5.8 million
Per capita spending on police: $322

Total police budget: $3.8 billion
Total number of residents: 11.7 million
Per capita spending on police: $327

Total police budget: $1.9 billion
Total number of residents: 5.6 million
Per capita spending on police: $330

Total police budget: $1.2 billion
Total number of residents: 3.6 million
Per capita spending on police: $330

Total police budget: $1.4 billion
Total number of residents: 4.2 million
Per capita spending on police: $331

Total police budget: $706 million
Total number of residents: 2.1 million
Per capita spending on police: $337

Total police budget: $482 million
Total number of residents: 1.4 million
Per capita spending on police: $338

Total police budget: $219 million
Total number of residents: 625,000
Per capita spending on police: $350

Total police budget: $1.7 billion
Total number of residents: 4.7 million
Per capita spending on police: $352

Total police budget: $2.5 billion
Total number of residents: 7.1 million
Per capita spending on police: $355

Total police budget: $2 billion
Total number of residents: 5.6 million
Per capita spending on police: $356

Total police budget: $2.6 billion
Total number of residents: 6.9 million
Per capita spending on police: $377

Total police budget: $224 million
Total number of residents: 579,000 residents
Per capita spending on police: $387

Total police budget: $379 million
Total number of residents: 957,000
Per capita spending on police: $396

Total police budget: $3.6 billion
Total number of residents: 9 million
Per capita spending on police: $401

Total police budget: $8.5 billion
Total number of residents: 21 million
Per capita spending on police: $406

Total police budget: $5.3 billion
Total number of residents: 12.8 million
Per capita spending on police: $413

Total police budget: $1.3 billion
Total number of residents: 3 million
Per capita spending on police: $427

Total police budget: $454 million
Total number of residents: 1.1 million
Per capita spending on police: $430

Total police budget: $2.7 billion
Total number of residents: 6 million
Per capita spending on police: $443

Total police budget: $19.2 billion
Total number of residents: 39 million
Per capita spending on police: $487

Total police budget: $365 million
Total number of residents: 740,000
Per capita spending on police: $493

Total police budget: $10.4 billion
Total number of residents: 19.6 million
Per capita spending on police: $530

Total police budget: $633 million
Total number of residents: 696,000
Per capita spending on police: $910