County government · DeKalb County, GA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Dekalb County took in $1.58 billion and spent $1.33 billion.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes53%Fees for services (sewer, garbage collection)32%Fines and other7.2%Federal tax money6.8%State tax money1.0%Local tax money0.1%

What stands out

16%

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

County taxes53%

Property tax
32%$507 million
Sales tax
16%$260 million
Other taxes
4.2%$66.9 million
What's in other taxesInsurance premium taxes; occupation and business licenses and 5 more
  • Insurance premium taxes$35.2 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$14.0 million
  • Other licenses$7.7 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$4.3 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$3.8 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$1.0 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$990 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services32%

Fees for services
32%$504 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; garbage collection and 6 more
  • Sewer$287 million
  • Garbage collection$88.4 million
  • Other service charges$67.1 million
  • Water$59.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.6 million
  • Gas$833 thousand
  • Parking$224 thousand
  • Electric power$153 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money6.8%

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

From the federal government
6.8%$107 million

State tax money1.0%

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

From the state
1.0%$15.3 million

Local tax money0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.1%$2.3 million

Fines and other7.2%

Interest, rents and other
5.7%$89.7 million
Fines
1.6%$24.6 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails29%Water, sewer, trash and utilities26%Running the government and other costs25%Health and hospitals7.4%Roads, transit and parking4.4%All other spending7.4%

What stands out

26%

of Dekalb County's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 2.6%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
29%$390 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; police and 2 more
  • Courts and legal services$180 million
  • Police$128 million
  • Fire protection$74.1 million
  • Inspections and regulation$8.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
26%$350 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply; garbage and solid waste and 1 more
  • Water supply$151 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$102 million
  • Sewer systems$97.1 million
Running the government and other costs
25%$334 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$229 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$67.1 million
  • Government buildings$21.3 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$17.4 million
Health and hospitals
7.4%$98.2 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$98.2 million
Roads, transit and parking
4.4%$59.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$59.0 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.3%$43.8 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$25.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$18.8 million
Interest on debt
3.2%$42.0 million
Social services
0.9%$11.4 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$11.4 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$801 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$801 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Dekalb County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of Dekalb 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.