Town government · Greater Bridgeport County, CT

Fairfield's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Fairfield took in $391 million and spent $470 million.

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

See every government that serves your ZIP

Where it comes from

Town taxes86%Fees for services (sewer, school lunches)6.3%Fines and other4.3%State tax money3.3%

What stands out

85%

of Fairfield's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. township or town of 50,000+ people gets 66%.

Town taxes86%

Property tax
85%$332 million
Other taxes
1.1%$4.4 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses
  • Other licenses$4.4 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services6.3%

Fees for services
6.3%$24.7 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; other service charges and 7 more
  • Sewer$9.5 million
  • Other service charges$7.2 million
  • School lunches$2.7 million
  • Parks and recreation$2.3 million
  • Parking$1.4 million
  • Housing$1.0 million
  • Other school charges$362 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$151 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$8 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%$152 thousand

State tax money3.3%

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

From the state
3.3%$12.8 million

County and local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
<0.1%$93 thousand

Fines and other4.3%

Interest, rents and other
4.2%$16.6 million
Fines
0.1%$441 thousand

Where it goes

Schools and colleges58%Running the government and other costs22%Police, fire, courts and jails9.0%Roads, transit and parking3.9%Parks, recreation and libraries2.8%All other spending5.0%

What stands out

58%

of Fairfield's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. townships and towns of 50,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
58%$271 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$271 million
Running the government and other costs
22%$101 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$91.3 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$6.7 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.0 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
9.0%$42.4 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$24.2 million
  • Fire protection$16.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$792 thousand
  • Inspections and regulation$657 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
3.9%$18.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
  • Roads and highways$17.6 million
  • Parking$822 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
2.8%$13.0 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$8.9 million
  • Libraries$4.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
2.6%$12.2 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$7.7 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$4.5 million
Health and hospitals
1.0%$4.5 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$4.5 million
Interest on debt
0.8%$3.7 million
Sent to other local governments
0.2%$1.0 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$1.0 million
Environment and natural resources
0.2%$818 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$818 thousand
Housing and community development
0.2%$784 thousand
Social services
0.1%$698 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$698 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Town of Fairfield. 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 Town of Fairfield 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.