County government · Cherokee County, GA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Cherokee County took in $367 million and spent $356 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes59%Fees for services (garbage collection, parks and recreation)19%Fines and other11%Federal tax money4.9%Local tax money3.3%State tax money1.9%

What stands out

18%

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

County taxes59%

Property tax
35%$130 million
Sales tax
18%$65.1 million
Other taxes
6.3%$23.2 million
What's in other taxesInsurance premium taxes; other licenses and 6 more
  • Insurance premium taxes$14.6 million
  • Other licenses$3.5 million
  • Public utility taxes$1.9 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$1.2 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$644 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$580 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$433 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$271 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services19%

Fees for services
19%$70.5 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 3 more
  • Other service charges$60.4 million
  • Garbage collection$5.5 million
  • Parks and recreation$3.9 million
  • Transit fares$560 thousand
  • Airport$177 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money4.9%

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

From the federal government
4.9%$17.8 million

State tax money1.9%

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

From the state
1.9%$7.1 million

Local tax money3.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
3.3%$12.1 million

Fines and other11%

Interest, rents and other
9.1%$33.3 million
Fines
2.2%$8.0 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails56%Sent to other local governments15%Running the government and other costs12%Roads, transit and parking12%Parks, recreation and libraries3.2%All other spending1.6%

What stands out

15%

of Cherokee 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
56%$198 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 3 more
  • Police$82.0 million
  • Fire protection$59.1 million
  • Courts and legal services$31.2 million
  • Prisons and jails$24.9 million
  • Inspections and regulation$1.1 million
Sent to other local governments
15%$54.5 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$54.5 million
Running the government and other costs
12%$43.1 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$16.6 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$13.1 million
  • Government buildings$7.7 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$5.8 million
Roads, transit and parking
12%$43.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$41.7 million
  • Airports$1.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.2%$11.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$11.5 million
Health and hospitals
0.9%$3.1 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$3.1 million
Housing and community development
0.3%$1.0 million
Interest on debt
0.3%$933 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.2%$536 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$536 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Cherokee County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

What this covers. The money of Cherokee 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.