State government

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Delaware took in $13.6 billion and spent $13.8 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

State taxes48%Federal tax money29%Fines and other14%Fees for services (college tuition, tolls)9.1%Local tax money0.5%

What stands out

25%

of Delaware's money comes from taxes other than property, sales and income taxes.A typical state government gets 10%.

State taxes48%

Other taxes
25%$3.45 billion
What's in other taxesCorporation licenses; real estate and stock transfer taxes and 15 more
  • Corporation licenses$2.34 billion
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$219 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$179 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$157 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$152 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$136 million
  • Tobacco taxes$92.4 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$63.3 million
  • Public utility taxes$53.7 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$31.7 million
  • Other licenses$10.5 million
  • Driver's licenses$6.3 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$4.1 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$2.0 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$1.7 million
  • Public utility licenses$718 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$437 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Individual income tax
19%$2.53 billion
Business income tax
3.9%$538 million

Fees for services9.1%

Fees for services
9.1%$1.25 billion
What's in fees for servicesCollege tuition; tolls on roads and bridges and 13 more
  • College tuition$620 million
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$229 million
  • University housing and dining$175 million
  • Other service charges$86.8 million
  • Garbage collection$75.8 million
  • Parks and recreation$24.2 million
  • Transit fares$16.2 million
  • Housing$6.7 million
  • Hospital bills$3.0 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$2.8 million
  • Sewer$2.4 million
  • Road charges$2.1 million
  • Water$1.2 million
  • Ports and waterways$214 thousand
  • Other education charges$26 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money29%

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

From the federal government
29%$3.95 billion

Local tax money0.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.5%$71.9 million

Fines and other14%

Interest, rents and other
13%$1.83 billion
Fines
0.2%$21.4 million

Where it goes

Social services29%Schools and colleges19%Sent to local governments18%Running the government and other costs8.4%Police, fire, courts and jails7.8%All other spending17%

What stands out

7.8%

of Delaware's spending goes to police, fire, courts and jails.A typical state government spends 4.5%.

Spending by category100%

Social services
29%$4.01 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 1 more
  • Other public welfare$3.96 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$36.5 million
  • Welfare institutions$18.0 million
Schools and colleges
19%$2.65 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$1.72 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$499 million
  • Other education$282 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$136 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$9.9 million
Sent to local governments
18%$2.56 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: other and not broken out and 12 more
  • Sent to school districts$2.18 billion
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$270 million
  • Sent to local governments: central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$28.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$16.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$15.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$10.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$9.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$8.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$6.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$5.1 million
  • Sent to local governments: sewer systems$1.1 million
  • Sent to the federal government$867 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: police$688 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: other education$59 thousand
Running the government and other costs
8.4%$1.16 billion
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting; other and not broken out and 3 more
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$414 million
  • Other and not broken out$275 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$233 million
  • Government buildings$193 million
  • Other government administration$45.8 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
7.8%$1.08 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$372 million
  • Courts and legal services$269 million
  • Police$225 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$127 million
  • Inspections and regulation$87.0 million
Roads, transit and parking
7.0%$971 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; toll roads and bridges and 2 more
  • Roads and highways$547 million
  • Toll roads and bridges$251 million
  • Public transit$171 million
  • Ports and harbors$2.4 million
Health and hospitals
5.0%$685 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$598 million
  • Hospitals$87.5 million
Interest on debt
1.6%$224 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.1%$149 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste; sewer systems and 1 more
  • Garbage and solid waste$95.9 million
  • Sewer systems$45.5 million
  • Water supply$7.1 million
Housing and community development
0.9%$126 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.9%$119 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$104 million
  • Libraries$15.3 million
Environment and natural resources
0.8%$107 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$107 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

State of Delaware. 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 State of Delaware 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.

Counties3 counties, A to Z
Cities and towns57 cities, towns and townships, A to Z
School districts19 school districts, A to Z