Being one of the largest states in the country, it's expected that New York would be near the top of all sorts of lists and rankings.

Whether it's tourist destinations or food festivals, you don't call your state The Empire State unless you are making a statement about how you rule or have dominion over others. And, well, if you ask any New Yorker how great NY is, you'll hear that it's the most incredible place in the world.

Sometimes, however, being one of the biggest and baddest also comes with things that you don't really want to have to deal with. Chief among those from time to time happens to be money.

Whether or not we like it, New York State spends a lot of money. We indeed spend a ton of cash, and we spend it on all sorts of things.

New York, the 4th largest state by population, has an annual budget of approximately $220 billion annually.

A large chunk of that taxpayer money collected and spent by the state is spent on citizens of this state and provides for all sorts of services, roads and bridges, state police services, and welfare.

Protestors Rally Against Trumpcare In New York City
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New York Spends More Money On Medicaid Than Nearly Every Other State

When you break it down, The Empire State spends more on Medicaid than 48 other states and, according to Medicaid.gov, only trails California.

Office of the New York State Comptroller
Office of the New York State Comptroller
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According to the Office of the New York State Comptroller's 2023 Financial Condition Report, New York spent more than $92 billion in Medicaid benefits to state residents. As of March 2023, more than 9 million New Yorkers (nearly 50% of the population) received Medicaid benefits during the year.

While this number is pretty large, another way you can look at it is to consider that New York spends more on Medicaid benefits than the bottom 30 states in America.

These Counties Have The Most Temporary Assistance Recipients Per Capita In New York State

Temporary Assistance (TA) usage, also known as Public Assistance (PA), has increased steadily over the last few years.

Gallery Credit: Ed Nice

These Counties Have The Most Food Stamp Recipients Per Capita In New York

SNAP usage has increased across the state since the start of the pandemic

Gallery Credit: Ed Nice

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