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Where Active Duty Troops Live

See the distribution of active-duty troops across all branches, including the Coast Guard. This data reflects how military households are geographically concentrated, helping utilities anticipate potential impacts from the government shutdown.

Data Highlights

• • The U.S. has ~1.3 million active-duty service members, concentrated in a handful of key states.

  • Southeastern and coastal states have the highest military presence, reflecting proximity to major bases, ports, and training centers.

  • Military presence is regionally concentrated: Five states — California, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida — account for nearly half of all active-duty troops, creating concentrated pockets of payment risk during the shutdown.

  • Local economies depend heavily on bases: In many Southern and coastal regions, military installations support 10–15% of local employment, amplifying potential utility bill impacts if paychecks are delayed.

  • Army and Air Force bases drive the largest energy loads: These branches’ extensive housing and infrastructure produce higher and more variable utility demand, making proactive planning critical during financial disruptions.

  • Military and federal worker clusters often overlap: States like Virginia, Maryland, and Texas house both large defense installations and major federal workforces, compounding local financial stress during shutdowns.

  • Utilities can use geographic data to act early: Mapping active-duty concentrations by ZIP code helps utilities target outreach, offer flexible billing, and prevent arrears before crises escalate.

  • Collaboration reduces community strain: Partnering with local credit unions and community aid programs offering 0% loans or hardship relief helps utilities support affected households while maintaining operational stability.

Where Federal Workers Live

Federal civilian workers make up more than two million employees nationwide, with high concentrations in states like Virginia, Maryland, California, and Texas. Use this map to identify regions where household income disruptions may affect payment stability.

Data Highlights

• The federal government employs over 2 million civilian workers across all states and territories. EveryCRSReport

• States with the highest numbers:

  • California ~150,679 federal civilian workers (Sep 2024) congress.gov

  • Virginia ~147,358 workers (Sep 2024) congress.gov

  • Maryland ~144,497 workers (Sep 2024) congress.gov

  • Texas ~130,686 workers (Sep 2024) congress.gov

• In many congressional districts, federal workers comprise 5% or more of the employed civilian workforce, indicating dense local exposure. EveryCRSReport

• Utilities serving areas with large federal workforces (e.g., the DC/VA/MD region, large urban centers) face elevated risk of payment disruptions if those workers lose income or face furloughs.

• The data reflect duty-station location, not necessarily residence—so utilities should cross-reference with residential ZIPs to identify where affected households live. congress.gov

• Because federal employees often live in clusters near major facilities or agencies, utilities can prioritize outreach and support efforts in those ZIPs to mitigate arrearage risk.

• When combined with military active-duty concentrations, regions with high federal civilian presence represent double exposure (military + federal) to financial stress during a government shutdown or pay disruption.

• For utilities, this means designing targeted communications and payment flexibility programs aimed at both service-members’ households and federal civilian households in overlapping geographies.