Yes, the blue states have more of the 1% living and paying taxes in their states. On the other side, government spending goes to where the government needs it. Military bases, roads, etc., which is more evenly distributed based on geography, not population... With military basing being more common in 'red' states.
If you are concerned about blue states paying for red states, perhaps you should advocate for lower federal taxes, and less federal spending, allowing states to keep more of their money and spend it on their own citizens.
Actually, Arkansas pays about $1,000 more in taxes per capita than California.
Cost of living is much lower in Arkansas as a function of the number of people that want to live there. Are you really questioning the many reasons why somebody would want to live in California more than Arkansas... And is it anything other than painfully obvious why things would cost much, much less there, including labor?
Maybe I am getting a little too complicated...