Sorry Feds, MA Barely Needs You: Study

Here's some good news for those afraid President Trump would leave Massachusetts behind: We don't need the federal government. Well, that's what personal finance website Wallet Hub is saying in a new study that claims Massachusetts is one of the very least federally dependent states in the country.

There were fears when Trump was elected that the Bay State would be on his naughty list - whether for outspoken high-ranking critics like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Gov. Charlie Baker, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, or for our sanctuary cities, or simply for our voting trend.

But WalletHub says fear not: Massachusetts is the fourth-least dependent state on the federal government. Here's why:

• Much of that is because the site says Massachusetts has the highest gross domestic product per capita in the country. (Thank you, Sam Adams.)
• We also get the third lowest amount of financial assistance aside from grants in the country, when compared to the money we pay in federal taxes.
• We rank in the top 10 lowest when it comes to the return on taxes paid to the federal government and in our share of federal jobs.
• We are 11th in lowest federally funding as a share of state revenue.

This is likely welcome news, as a recent Rasmussen study said the 61 percent of Americans think too many rely on government aid. Only nine percent thought the government wasn't shelling out enough to help.

States that voted Democrat on average were far more likely to be less federally dependent that states that voted Republican, WalletHub said. Generally states with higher tax rates proved to be more independent, and

The only other New England state in the top 10 least federally dependent state is Connecticut at No. 8.

>>>See WalletHub's full report here.

(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)