County government · Whitfield County, GA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Whitfield County took in $162 million and spent $183 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes65%Fees for services (garbage collection, parks and recreation)14%State tax money6.7%Fines and other6.0%Local tax money4.6%Federal tax money4.2%

What stands out

35%

of Whitfield County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 4.2%.

County taxes65%

Sales tax
35%$56.5 million
Property tax
24%$39.1 million
Other taxes
5.8%$9.3 million
What's in other taxesInsurance premium taxes; other licenses and 5 more
  • Insurance premium taxes$5.3 million
  • Other licenses$2.8 million
  • Public utility taxes$432 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$402 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$226 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$126 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$90 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services14%

Fees for services
14%$22.3 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 2 more
  • Other service charges$12.8 million
  • Garbage collection$8.7 million
  • Parks and recreation$517 thousand
  • Road charges$294 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money4.2%

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

From the federal government
4.2%$6.8 million

State tax money6.7%

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

From the state
6.7%$10.8 million

Local tax money4.6%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
4.6%$7.4 million

Fines and other6.0%

Interest, rents and other
4.6%$7.4 million
Fines
1.4%$2.3 million

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs50%Police, fire, courts and jails27%Water, sewer, trash and utilities7.1%Roads, transit and parking5.7%Sent to other local governments5.2%All other spending5.5%

What stands out

50%

of Whitfield County's spending goes to running the government and other costs.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 19%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
50%$90.9 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$79.3 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$6.5 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.9 million
  • Government buildings$2.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
27%$48.7 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$14.6 million
  • Police$12.5 million
  • Fire protection$11.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$9.2 million
  • Inspections and regulation$509 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
7.1%$13.1 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste and sewer systems
  • Garbage and solid waste$10.5 million
  • Sewer systems$2.5 million
Roads, transit and parking
5.7%$10.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$10.4 million
Sent to other local governments
5.2%$9.6 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out and sent to the state government
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$9.4 million
  • Sent to the state government$159 thousand
Health and hospitals
2.6%$4.7 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$4.7 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
2.3%$4.2 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$3.6 million
  • Libraries$600 thousand
Interest on debt
0.4%$674 thousand
Housing and community development
<0.1%$164 thousand
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$142 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$142 thousand
Social services
<0.1%$93 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$93 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Whitfield 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 Whitfield 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.