County government · Orange County, CA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Orange County took in $6.57 billion and spent $6.18 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money45%County taxes26%Fees for services (garbage collection, airport)17%Fines and other7.2%Federal tax money2.8%Local tax money1.8%

What stands out

45%

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

County taxes26%

Property tax
25%$1.66 billion
Other taxes
0.9%$58.4 million
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; occupation and business licenses and 3 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$26.7 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$15.1 million
  • Other licenses$13.3 million
  • Public utility taxes$2.7 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$654 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
0.2%$10.6 million

Fees for services17%

Fees for services
17%$1.09 billion
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 7 more
  • Other service charges$609 million
  • Garbage collection$215 million
  • Airport$196 million
  • Road charges$25.5 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$21.6 million
  • Other school charges$8.8 million
  • Parks and recreation$8.3 million
  • Gas$288 thousand
  • School lunches$161 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.8%

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

From the federal government
2.8%$181 million

State tax money45%

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

From the state
45%$2.97 billion

Local tax money1.8%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.8%$118 million

Fines and other7.2%

Interest, rents and other
6.9%$455 million
Fines
0.3%$20.7 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails28%Social services19%Health and hospitals17%Running the government and other costs16%Schools and colleges5.5%All other spending15%

What stands out

19%

of Orange County's spending goes to social services.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 4.3%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
28%$1.72 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 4 more
  • Police$810 million
  • Courts and legal services$447 million
  • Prisons and jails$332 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$105 million
  • Inspections and regulation$13.7 million
  • Fire protection$8.3 million
Social services
19%$1.17 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$1.17 billion
Health and hospitals
17%$1.06 billion
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$1.06 billion
Running the government and other costs
16%$982 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$799 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$105 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$77.8 million
Schools and colleges
5.5%$342 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$342 million
Roads, transit and parking
3.6%$223 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingAirports; roads and highways and 1 more
  • Airports$120 million
  • Roads and highways$91.5 million
  • Parking$11.0 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.1%$194 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$135 million
  • Libraries$59.7 million
Environment and natural resources
2.5%$156 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$156 million
Sent to other local governments
2.3%$143 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out and sent to the state government
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$83.9 million
  • Sent to the state government$59.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
2.2%$138 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$138 million
Interest on debt
0.9%$58.4 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Orange 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 Orange 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.