County government · Lake County, IL

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended November 30, 2023), Lake County took in $718 million and spent $569 million.

Latest recorded year: ended November 30, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes49%State tax money21%Fees for services (water, parks and recreation)14%Fines and other10%Federal tax money5.3%Local tax money0.9%

What stands out

39%

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

County taxes49%

Property tax
39%$280 million
Sales tax
5.7%$41.2 million
Other taxes
4.1%$29.4 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 1 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$19.9 million
  • Other licenses$6.5 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$3.0 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services14%

Fees for services
14%$99.3 million
What's in fees for servicesWater; other service charges and 2 more
  • Water$49.3 million
  • Other service charges$33.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$8.8 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$8.2 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money5.3%

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

From the federal government
5.3%$37.7 million

State tax money21%

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

From the state
21%$152 million

Local tax money0.9%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.9%$6.2 million

Fines and other10%

Interest, rents and other
10%$71.5 million
Fines
0.1%$946 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails24%Running the government and other costs23%Health and hospitals14%Roads, transit and parking12%Water, sewer, trash and utilities8.9%All other spending18%

What stands out

6.9%

of Lake County's spending goes to the environment and natural resources.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
24%$137 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Police$80.4 million
  • Courts and legal services$50.1 million
  • Inspections and regulation$3.6 million
  • Prisons and jails$3.3 million
Running the government and other costs
23%$130 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 1 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$71.9 million
  • Other and not broken out$56.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$2.3 million
Health and hospitals
14%$80.4 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$80.2 million
  • Hospitals$237 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
12%$67.5 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$67.5 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
8.9%$50.6 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply
  • Water supply$50.6 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
8.9%$50.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$50.5 million
Environment and natural resources
6.9%$39.0 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$39.0 million
Interest on debt
2.2%$12.4 million
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$496 thousand
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$333 thousand
  • Sent to the state government$163 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Lake County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended November 30, 2023.

What this covers. The money of Lake 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.