As millions wait for coronavirus checks, IRS reveals which states got the most money

Brooke Wolford
·2 min read

About 130 million Americans have received their coronavirus pandemic stimulus payments of $1,200, but some states saw a lot more cash flow than others, new data released by the Internal Revenue Service show.

In the first four weeks of the program, more than $200 billion in stimulus payments was sent to Americans who qualified for the program as part of the CARES Act passed by Congress, according to the IRS. Although around 150 million people are still waiting to receive their payments, the newly released data show which states received the most and least amount of money in stimulus payments, CNBC reported.

The states that received the most in terms of dollar amount were California, Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania, all of which saw more than $8.8 billion in payments, according to IRS data.

California topped the list with 13.6 million payments adding up to $22 billion, Money reported. California is the most populous state with more than 39 million residents as of July 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The states that received the smallest amount of money in stimulus payments were South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming - all of which received less than $630 million each, IRS data show. The District of Columbia took the last spot, getting about $349 million in stimulus payments, according to the IRS.

Wyoming, the least populated state in the union, received the fewest payments, and therefore the least amount of money so far, Money reported. The state received fewer than 226,000 payments, adding up to $407 million, according to IRS data.

Stimulus payments went to low- and middle-income individuals making up to $75,000 a year, CNBC reported. Families who made up to $150,000 a year also qualified to receive stimulus payments, according to CNBC.

The IRS set a deadline to sign up for direct deposit for people who have yet to receive their stimulus payments, the Miami Herald reported. That deadline is Wednesday at noon, according to the IRS.