New analysis from the non-partisan Tax Foundation shows North Carolina is in the middle of the pack in our reliance on federal funding.
Every state in the union gets some financial help from the federal government. It comes in a variety of forms, like Medicaid payments, housing grants, and infrastructure support, to name a few.
In 2013, North Carolina received about a third of its general revenue this way, ranking 25th overall.
But the South at large fared less well.
Five of the top ten states receiving federal aid come from the region, with Mississippi and Louisiana leading the way.
The Tax Foundation notes that the states most reliant on outside revenue tend to have a significant number of low-income residents.
That leads to a greater need for Medicaid, poverty relief programs, and education support.