Government Shutdown: Only 1 State Affected Less Than NH

The partial federal government shutdown has lasted two weeks and could extend even longer if House Democrats and President Donald Trump continue digging in their heels over funding for a border wall with Mexico. But the shutdown doesn’t affect every state equally. Some, for instance, have more residents receiving food stamps, while others have a large share of federal workers.

New Hampshire ranked as the second-least affected state, ahead of only Minnesota, according to a report published Thursday by WalletHub. The Granite State has the fifth-lowest share of federal jobs and the third-lowest percent of families receiving SNAP benefits, contributing greatly to why the shutdown is affecting it less. The analysis weights those two metrics twice as more as the others, which include federal contract dollars per capita, real estate as percentage of gross state product and access to national parks.

Washington, D.C. unsurprisingly topped the list. The nation’s capital has the highest number of families receiving SNAP benefits, the authors noted, and it tied for first in highest federal contract dollars per capita and highest share of federal jobs.

Blue states are slightly more affected than red states on average. New Hampshire, of course, isn't so easily identified.

Here are the 10 states most affected by the shutdown, according to WalletHub:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. New Mexico
3. Maryland
4. Hawaii
5. Alaska
6. Virginia
7. West Virginia
8. Mississippi
9. Alabama
10. Arizona

The longest shutdown in American history was 21 days during Bill Clinton’s presidency. That impasse began in December 1995 and lasted into January 1996. When the government shuts down, some federal workers perform their duties but don’t receive a paycheck. Others receive furlough, essentially meaning a leave of absence.

Tens of thousands of workers in the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Prisons, Customs and Border Protection, Coast Guard and Secret Service are among those working for free at the moment, according to The New York Times. Most IRS operations have been halted and many national parks are closed.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

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