County government · Chatham County, GA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Chatham County took in $623 million and spent $584 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes68%Fines and other9.1%Fees for services (parks and recreation, garbage collection)8.9%State tax money5.2%Federal tax money4.3%Local tax money4.2%

What stands out

25%

of Chatham County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 2.7%.

County taxes68%

Property tax
39%$243 million
Sales tax
25%$156 million
Other taxes
4.2%$25.9 million
What's in other taxesInsurance premium taxes; other taxes not classified elsewhere and 5 more
  • Insurance premium taxes$7.6 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$7.5 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$3.0 million
  • Other licenses$2.5 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$2.2 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$1.7 million
  • Public utility taxes$1.4 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services8.9%

Fees for services
8.9%$55.7 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; parks and recreation and 6 more
  • Other service charges$45.6 million
  • Parks and recreation$3.1 million
  • Garbage collection$2.7 million
  • Transit fares$1.5 million
  • Sewer$1.4 million
  • Electric power$576 thousand
  • Parking$553 thousand
  • Road charges$193 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money4.3%

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

From the federal government
4.3%$27.0 million

State tax money5.2%

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

From the state
5.2%$32.5 million

Local tax money4.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
4.2%$26.0 million

Fines and other9.1%

Interest, rents and other
7.7%$48.1 million
Fines
1.4%$8.7 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails31%Running the government and other costs23%Sent to other local governments21%Roads, transit and parking12%Health and hospitals5.9%All other spending7.0%

What stands out

21%

of Chatham County's spending goes to local governments.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
31%$182 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; prisons and jails and 2 more
  • Courts and legal services$79.8 million
  • Prisons and jails$59.9 million
  • Police$41.4 million
  • Inspections and regulation$788 thousand
Running the government and other costs
23%$134 million
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$84.8 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$28.3 million
  • Government buildings$11.9 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$8.7 million
Sent to other local governments
21%$122 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$122 million
Roads, transit and parking
12%$71.8 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingPublic transit and roads and highways
  • Public transit$38.2 million
  • Roads and highways$33.6 million
Health and hospitals
5.9%$34.2 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$34.2 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.4%$25.8 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$17.3 million
  • Libraries$8.5 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.3%$7.8 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste; water supply and 1 more
  • Garbage and solid waste$5.7 million
  • Water supply$1.2 million
  • Sewer systems$985 thousand
Interest on debt
0.6%$3.5 million
Social services
0.6%$3.4 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$3.4 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$212 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$212 thousand
Housing and community development
<0.1%$120 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Chatham 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 Chatham 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.