WALHALLA — When it comes to getting federal grants, fewer federal dollars funnel their way into Oconee County.

In fiscal year 2006, Oconee received less federal grant money than any other South Carolina county comparable in size, a recent U.S. Census report on federal government expenditure by state and county area reveals.

According to the report’s findings in fiscal 2006, South Carolina received $6.3 billion in federal grants. Oconee, with a population of about 70,000, pulled in $61.4 million in federal grants, considerably less than other Palmetto counties of similar size.

For instance, Darlington County (67,551 population) received $113.4 million in federal grants that year; Greenwood County (68,213) drew a little more than $93 million; and Laurens County (70,373) pulled in $94.5 million.

By comparison, nearby Pickens County, with a population of more than 114,000, received $124.5 million in grants that year.

Oconee County Administrator Dale Surrett said several factors play into how much a county receives in federal grants any given year.

For instance, Surrett said some grants are given in cycles and not all counties get that money at the same time.

More importantly, Surrett said Oconee exceeds Low to Moderate Income (LMI) levels that the federal government looks at when it dishes out housing, public health, public safety and other types of grants.

“The large urban areas such as Greenville, Columbia and Charleston have pockets of wealth, but they also have pockets of poverty,” Surrett said.

Surrett said that a state official that he did not want to name once told him: “You don’t want to live in a community that qualifies for too many grants.” Surrett added: “When you don’t get those grants, it’s an indication of how blessed you are.”

Grants are just a fraction of the total of federal dollars that flow into the state and counties. Federal money for salaries and wages, procurement, retirement and disability and other direct payments also make their way to the state and local level.

South Carolina received a total of $33.8 billion in fiscal 2006. Federal expenditure in Oconee totaled $398.7 million, while federal dollars in Pickens topped $587.4 million.

Total federal expenditures in other Upstate areas include: Abbeville County ($151.7 million); Anderson County ($909.4 million); Cherokee County ($274.1 million); Greenwood ($401.2 million); Greenville County ($2.4 billion); Laurens ($364.9 million); Spartanburg County ($1.4 billion); and Union County ($179.5 million).