County government · Merced County, CA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Merced County took in $768 million and spent $894 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Comes fromGoes to

See every government that serves your ZIP

Where it comes from

State tax money52%County taxes22%Fees for services (airport, garbage collection)8.6%Fines and other6.5%Federal tax money6.2%Local tax money3.9%

What stands out

52%

of Merced County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 19%.

County taxes22%

Property tax
18%$138 million
Sales tax
3.0%$23.3 million
Other taxes
1.4%$10.9 million
What's in other taxesPublic utility taxes; occupation and business licenses and 4 more
  • Public utility taxes$3.9 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$2.9 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$1.6 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$1.2 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$867 thousand
  • Other licenses$346 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services8.6%

Fees for services
8.6%$65.9 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; airport and 5 more
  • Other service charges$56.9 million
  • Airport$3.2 million
  • Garbage collection$2.1 million
  • Other school charges$2.1 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$1.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$367 thousand
  • Road charges$254 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money6.2%

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

From the federal government
6.2%$47.6 million

State tax money52%

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

From the state
52%$402 million

Local tax money3.9%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
3.9%$29.9 million

Fines and other6.5%

Interest, rents and other
5.9%$45.5 million
Fines
0.6%$4.5 million

Where it goes

Social services24%Police, fire, courts and jails22%Schools and colleges19%Health and hospitals15%Running the government and other costs8.8%All other spending11%

What stands out

19%

of Merced County's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Social services
24%$217 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$217 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
22%$193 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 3 more
  • Police$93.4 million
  • Prisons and jails$42.6 million
  • Courts and legal services$27.9 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$27.1 million
  • Inspections and regulation$2.3 million
Schools and colleges
19%$171 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$171 million
Health and hospitals
15%$139 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$139 million
Running the government and other costs
8.8%$78.9 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$49.8 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$17.2 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$11.9 million
Roads, transit and parking
5.1%$45.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$43.8 million
  • Airports$1.6 million
Sent to other local governments
3.9%$35.3 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$35.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.8%$7.1 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$4.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$2.8 million
Environment and natural resources
0.5%$4.4 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$4.4 million
Interest on debt
0.4%$3.5 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

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

What this covers. The money of Merced 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.