County government · Mobile County, AL

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Mobile County took in $411 million and spent $369 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes53%Federal tax money16%State tax money14%Fines and other10%Fees for services6.8%Local tax money0.4%

What stands out

23%

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

County taxes53%

Property tax
25%$104 million
Sales tax
23%$95.6 million
Other taxes
4.9%$20.0 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 2 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$15.0 million
  • Other licenses$4.4 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$379 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$189 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services6.8%

Fees for services
6.8%$28.1 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges
  • Other service charges$28.1 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money16%

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

From the federal government
16%$63.9 million

State tax money14%

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

From the state
14%$55.6 million

Local tax money0.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.4%$1.7 million

Fines and other10%

Interest, rents and other
10%$41.7 million

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs36%Police, fire, courts and jails33%Health and hospitals17%Roads, transit and parking6.3%Parks, recreation and libraries3.0%All other spending4.4%

What stands out

36%

of Mobile County's spending goes to running the government and other costs.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 17%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
36%$134 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 1 more
  • Other and not broken out$85.7 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$27.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$21.6 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
33%$121 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 3 more
  • Police$61.0 million
  • Fire protection$38.5 million
  • Prisons and jails$11.2 million
  • Courts and legal services$7.1 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$3.2 million
Health and hospitals
17%$63.3 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$63.3 million
Roads, transit and parking
6.3%$23.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$23.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.0%$11.0 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$11.0 million
Interest on debt
2.0%$7.5 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.3%$4.8 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$4.8 million
Social services
1.1%$4.2 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$4.2 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Mobile 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 Mobile 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.