County government · Tuscaloosa County, AL

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Tuscaloosa County took in $130 million and spent $122 million.

Latest recorded year: ended September 30, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes60%Fines and other15%State tax money14%Fees for services (road charges)6.9%Local tax money3.5%Federal tax money<0.1%

What stands out

20%

of Tuscaloosa County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 4.2%.

County taxes60%

Property tax
33%$42.6 million
Sales tax
20%$26.4 million
Other taxes
7.1%$9.2 million
What's in other taxesSeverance taxes; other taxes not classified elsewhere and 6 more
  • Severance taxes$2.1 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$1.7 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$1.3 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$1.1 million
  • Tobacco taxes$1.0 million
  • Other licenses$1.0 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$677 thousand
  • Motor vehicle licenses$329 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services6.9%

Fees for services
6.9%$8.9 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and road charges
  • Other service charges$8.9 million
  • Road charges$18 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money<0.1%

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

From the federal government
<0.1%$99 thousand

State tax money14%

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

From the state
14%$18.5 million

Local tax money3.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
3.5%$4.6 million

Fines and other15%

Interest, rents and other
15%$19.4 million
Fines
<0.1%$35 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails34%Running the government and other costs33%Roads, transit and parking24%Parks, recreation and libraries8.2%Health and hospitals0.5%All other spending0.8%

What stands out

24%

of Tuscaloosa County's spending goes to roads, transit and parking.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 8.9%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
34%$41.1 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 2 more
  • Police$22.1 million
  • Prisons and jails$14.2 million
  • Courts and legal services$4.2 million
  • Fire protection$619 thousand
Running the government and other costs
33%$40.2 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); finance, tax collection and budgeting and 1 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$27.0 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$11.8 million
  • Other and not broken out$1.5 million
Roads, transit and parking
24%$29.3 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$29.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
8.2%$10.1 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$5.8 million
  • Parks and recreation$4.2 million
Health and hospitals
0.5%$649 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$649 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.5%$634 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$634 thousand
Social services
0.3%$358 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$358 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Tuscaloosa County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of Tuscaloosa 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.