County government · Jefferson County, AL

Jefferson County's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Jefferson County took in $990 million and spent $693 million.

Latest recorded year: ended September 30, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes59%Fees for services (sewer, hospital bills)32%Federal tax money5.0%State tax money2.9%Fines and other1.2%Local tax money0.1%

What stands out

38%

of Jefferson County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 2.7%.

County taxes59%

Sales tax
38%$375 million
Property tax
17%$165 million
Other taxes
4.5%$44.9 million
What's in other taxesMotor fuel taxes; occupation and business licenses and 7 more
  • Motor fuel taxes$11.9 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$10.2 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$9.6 million
  • Other licenses$8.1 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$4.0 million
  • Pari-mutuel (betting) taxes$627 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$309 thousand
  • Tobacco taxes$97 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$2 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services32%

Fees for services
32%$314 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; other service charges and 3 more
  • Sewer$263 million
  • Other service charges$47.5 million
  • Hospital bills$2.6 million
  • Parking$534 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$330 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money5.0%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
5.0%$49.2 million

State tax money2.9%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
2.9%$28.4 million

Local tax money0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.1%$1.1 million

Fines and other1.2%

Interest, rents and other
1.2%$12.1 million
Fines
<0.1%$174 thousand

Where it goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities31%Health and hospitals20%Police, fire, courts and jails19%Interest on debt14%Roads, transit and parking11%All other spending5.2%

What stands out

31%

of Jefferson County's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 2.6%.

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
31%$215 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$214 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$993 thousand
Health and hospitals
20%$138 million
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$73.7 million
  • Public health$64.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
19%$134 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Police$95.3 million
  • Courts and legal services$26.8 million
  • Prisons and jails$6.5 million
  • Fire protection$5.7 million
Interest on debt
14%$94.8 million
Roads, transit and parking
11%$75.3 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$75.3 million
Running the government and other costs
4.9%$33.6 million
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting and central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$24.5 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$9.2 million
Housing and community development
0.3%$2.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
<0.1%$49 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries
  • Libraries$49 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Jefferson County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

What this covers. The money of Jefferson County itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.