County government · Fulton County, GA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Fulton County took in $1.12 billion and spent $879 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes66%Fees for services (water, sewer)20%Federal tax money5.2%Fines and other5.1%State tax money3.2%Local tax money0.9%

What stands out

63%

of Fulton County's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 29%.

County taxes66%

Property tax
63%$704 million
Sales tax
1.7%$18.9 million
Other taxes
1.2%$13.3 million
What's in other taxesOccupation and business licenses; other taxes not classified elsewhere and 5 more
  • Occupation and business licenses$5.4 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$3.6 million
  • Other licenses$3.3 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$905 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$87 thousand
  • Insurance premium taxes$23 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$15 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services20%

Fees for services
20%$219 million
What's in fees for servicesWater; sewer and 2 more
  • Water$109 million
  • Sewer$72.8 million
  • Other service charges$32.1 million
  • Airport$4.7 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money5.2%

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

From the federal government
5.2%$58.2 million

State tax money3.2%

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

From the state
3.2%$36.1 million

Local tax money0.9%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.9%$9.7 million

Fines and other5.1%

Interest, rents and other
3.4%$38.0 million
Fines
1.7%$18.9 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails41%Running the government and other costs32%Health and hospitals8.5%Sent to other local governments5.9%Parks, recreation and libraries4.4%All other spending8.6%

What stands out

5.9%

of Fulton 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
41%$359 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; prisons and jails and 2 more
  • Courts and legal services$186 million
  • Prisons and jails$91.7 million
  • Police$80.2 million
  • Fire protection$325 thousand
Running the government and other costs
32%$279 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 3 more
  • Other and not broken out$120 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$95.6 million
  • Government buildings$49.3 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$13.9 million
  • Other government-run businesses$62 thousand
Health and hospitals
8.5%$74.5 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$74.5 million
Sent to other local governments
5.9%$52.2 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$52.2 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.4%$38.7 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$29.1 million
  • Parks and recreation$9.5 million
Interest on debt
4.3%$37.4 million
Social services
1.9%$16.4 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare and welfare institutions
  • Other public welfare$16.3 million
  • Welfare institutions$11 thousand
Housing and community development
1.7%$15.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
0.7%$6.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$4.2 million
  • Airports$1.8 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$802 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$802 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Fulton 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 Fulton 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.