County government · Pickens County, GA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2021), Pickens County took in $47.8 million and spent $37.8 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2021Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes64%Fees for services (water, sewer)18%State tax money9.9%Federal tax money5.2%Fines and other2.9%

What stands out

26%

of Pickens County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 1.6%.

County taxes64%

Property tax
32%$15.1 million
Sales tax
26%$12.3 million
Other taxes
6.7%$3.2 million
What's in other taxesInsurance premium taxes; other licenses and 6 more
  • Insurance premium taxes$1.9 million
  • Other licenses$487 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$275 thousand
  • Public utility taxes$160 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$153 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$85 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$76 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$60 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services18%

Fees for services
18%$8.6 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; water and 5 more
  • Other service charges$4.2 million
  • Water$1.8 million
  • Sewer$1.2 million
  • Airport$755 thousand
  • Garbage collection$490 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$164 thousand
  • Road charges$1 thousand

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%$2.5 million

State tax money9.9%

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

From the state
9.9%$4.7 million

Local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
<0.1%$3 thousand

Fines and other2.9%

Fines
1.5%$696 thousand
Interest, rents and other
1.4%$671 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails56%Running the government and other costs19%Roads, transit and parking13%Sent to other local governments3.5%Parks, recreation and libraries3.3%All other spending4.9%

What stands out

56%

of Pickens County's spending goes to police, fire, courts and jails.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people spends 20%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
56%$21.1 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; police and 2 more
  • Courts and legal services$6.6 million
  • Police$6.6 million
  • Fire protection$4.8 million
  • Prisons and jails$3.1 million
Running the government and other costs
19%$7.3 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$2.6 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.8 million
  • Government buildings$724 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
13%$5.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$4.3 million
  • Airports$786 thousand
Sent to other local governments
3.5%$1.3 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$1.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.3%$1.3 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$876 thousand
  • Libraries$377 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
2.4%$904 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$904 thousand
Health and hospitals
1.3%$485 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$485 thousand
Interest on debt
1.0%$393 thousand
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$37 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$37 thousand
Social services
<0.1%$25 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$25 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Pickens County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Finance, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. The Census record for this government is from the 2022 survey, the newest on file.

What this covers. The money of Pickens 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.