County government · La Plata County, CO

La Plata County's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), La Plata County took in $65.8 million and spent $54.6 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes68%Fines and other11%Fees for services (parks and recreation)8.1%State tax money5.2%Local tax money3.8%Federal tax money3.5%

What stands out

36%

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

County taxes68%

Sales tax
36%$23.8 million
Property tax
24%$15.9 million
Other taxes
8.0%$5.3 million
What's in other taxesOther taxes not classified elsewhere; other licenses and 3 more
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$2.4 million
  • Other licenses$1.5 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.2 million
  • Public utility taxes$131 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$93 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services8.1%

Fees for services
8.1%$5.3 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and parks and recreation
  • Other service charges$5.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$167 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.5%

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

From the federal government
3.5%$2.3 million

State tax money5.2%

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

From the state
5.2%$3.4 million

Local tax money3.8%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
3.8%$2.5 million

Fines and other11%

Interest, rents and other
11%$7.2 million
Fines
0.2%$109 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails49%Running the government and other costs33%Parks, recreation and libraries6.4%Housing and community development5.8%Health and hospitals5.2%All other spending1.1%

What stands out

49%

of La Plata County's spending goes to police, fire, courts and jails.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 25%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
49%$26.7 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 3 more
  • Police$11.3 million
  • Prisons and jails$9.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$4.1 million
  • Inspections and regulation$973 thousand
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$494 thousand
Running the government and other costs
33%$17.8 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$7.0 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$5.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.1 million
  • Government buildings$2.2 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
6.4%$3.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$3.5 million
Housing and community development
5.8%$3.2 million
Health and hospitals
5.2%$2.9 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$2.9 million
Roads, transit and parking
0.4%$194 thousand
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$194 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.3%$174 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$174 thousand
Environment and natural resources
0.3%$148 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$148 thousand
Interest on debt
0.2%$102 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

La Plata County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 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 La Plata 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.