Government Shutdown Affects Florida More Than You Might Think

BRADENTON, FL — If you think Florida isn't affected by the government shutdown, think again. A new analysis released by personal finance website WalletHub on Thursday found that the Sunshine State ranked 14th among U.S. states and the District of Columbia in terms of the overall effects of the shutdown.

"WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of five key metrics, ranging from each state’s share of federal jobs to federal contract dollars per capita to the share of families receiving food stamps," WalletHub editors penned.

While Florida had only the 34rd most federal government jobs in the country, Florida ranked 23rd for federal contract dollars per person and third for real estate as a percentage of Gross State Product, which is the state equivalent of Gross Domestic Product. Mortgage processing will be affected by staffing shortages in the IRS, Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Administration, according to WalletHub.

Florida ranked 44th for access to national parks and ninth for the percentage of families receiving food stamps, both of which are subject to the effects of the partial government shutdown, now in its 13th day.

As you might expect, the District of Columbia is affected most by the shutdown. But New Mexico is affected the second most followed by Maryland, Hawaii and Alaska. Virginia, which is home to many government workers, ranked only sixth.

Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana are least affected by the partial shutdown, according to WalletHub.

Click here to read the full report.

A lock is seen on the gate leading to the Nike Missile Base at the Everglades National Park. The site is closed as a private nonprofit group keeps open most of the rest of the park for visitors during the shutdown. Thousands of National Park Rangers have been furloughed waiting for Congress and President Donald Trump to reach a deal to fund the government. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)