City government · Washington DC County, DC

Washington, D.C.'s money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Washington, D.C. took in $21.4 billion and spent $22.0 billion.

Latest recorded year: ended September 30, 2023Comes from Goes to

See every government that serves your ZIP

Where it comes from

City taxes49%Federal tax money33%Fines and other7.2%Fees for services (sewer, water)6.3%County and local tax money3.0%State tax money1.8%

What stands out

33%

of Washington, D.C.'s money comes from federal tax money.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 3.6%.

City taxes49%

Individual income tax

15%$3.14 billion

Property tax

14%$3.08 billion

Sales tax

9.3%$2.00 billion

Business income tax

5.3%$1.13 billion

Other taxes

5.1%$1.09 billion

What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; insurance premium taxes and 13 more

Real estate and stock transfer taxes$330 million
Insurance premium taxes$171 million
Public utility taxes$149 million
Other selective sales taxes$108 million
Motor vehicle licenses$72.5 million
Other licenses$62.1 million
Occupation and business licenses$60.6 million
Estate and gift taxes$45.0 million
Corporation licenses$39.3 million
Motor fuel taxes$21.7 million
Tobacco taxes$9.8 million
Alcoholic beverage taxes$7.0 million
Alcoholic beverage licenses$6.5 million
Driver's licenses$5.0 million
Other taxes not classified elsewhere$4.9 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services6.3%

Fees for services

6.3%$1.35 billion

What's in fees for servicesSewer; water and 11 more

Sewer$516 million
Water$297 million
Other service charges$285 million
Hospital bills$99.1 million
Housing$40.2 million
Parking$35.2 million
Parks and recreation$31.0 million
College tuition$24.8 million
Other school charges$14.4 million
Garbage collection$7.4 million
Road charges$1.7 million
School lunches$627 thousand
University housing and dining$363 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money33%

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

From the federal government

33%$7.04 billion

State tax money1.8%

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

From the state

1.8%$385 million

County and local tax money3.0%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments

3.0%$634 million

Fines and other7.2%

Interest, rents and other

6.1%$1.31 billion

Fines

1.1%$239 million

Where it goes

Social services27%Schools and colleges19%Running the government and other costs14%Police, fire, courts and jails8.8%Housing and community development6.9%All other spending24%

What stands out

27%

of Washington, D.C.'s spending goes to social services.Most U.S. cities of 50,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Social services

27%$5.88 billion

What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 1 more

Other public welfare$5.82 billion
Unemployment and social insurance offices$58.4 million
Welfare institutions$3.8 million

Schools and colleges

19%$4.26 billion

What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools; colleges and universities and 2 more

Elementary and secondary schools$4.06 billion
Colleges and universities$163 million
Scholarships and other education subsidies$28.7 million
College housing, dining and bookstores$5.1 million

Running the government and other costs

14%$3.16 billion

What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more

Other and not broken out$2.34 billion
Finance, tax collection and budgeting$303 million
Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$271 million
Government buildings$246 million

Police, fire, courts and jails

8.8%$1.94 billion

What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 3 more

Police$753 million
Courts and legal services$346 million
Prisons and jails$302 million
Fire protection$288 million
Inspections and regulation$250 million

Housing and community development

6.9%$1.52 billion

Water, sewer, trash and utilities

5.8%$1.28 billion

What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more

Sewer systems$620 million
Water supply$503 million
Garbage and solid waste$152 million

Sent to other local governments

4.4%$958 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$958 million

Health and hospitals

3.8%$827 million

What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals

Public health$578 million
Hospitals$249 million

Interest on debt

3.6%$800 million

What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt

Interest on general debt$736 million
Interest on water supply debt$64.6 million

Roads, transit and parking

3.5%$772 million

What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; parking and 1 more

Roads and highways$733 million
Parking$37.4 million
Public transit$1.3 million

Parks, recreation and libraries

2.1%$466 million

What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries

Parks and recreation$377 million
Libraries$89.1 million

Environment and natural resources

0.5%$118 million

What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation

Natural resources, farming and conservation$118 million

Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

District of Columbia. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

What this covers. The money of District of Columbia 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.