County government · Lake County, IN

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Lake County took in $372 million and spent $283 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes64%State tax money27%Fines and other6.4%Fees for services (parks and recreation, sewer)1.7%Local tax money0.4%Federal tax money<0.1%

What stands out

42%

of Lake County's money comes from a personal income tax.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people get none.

County taxes64%

Individual income tax
42%$155 million
Property tax
22%$82.2 million
Other taxes
0.4%$1.6 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses; other selective sales taxes and 1 more
  • Other licenses$785 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$769 thousand
  • Public utility taxes$32 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
<0.1%$11 thousand

Fees for services1.7%

Fees for services
1.7%$6.2 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; parks and recreation and 1 more
  • Other service charges$4.4 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.4 million
  • Sewer$406 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money<0.1%

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

From the federal government
<0.1%$216 thousand

State tax money27%

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

From the state
27%$101 million

Local tax money0.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.4%$1.6 million

Fines and other6.4%

Interest, rents and other
5.2%$19.4 million
Fines
1.2%$4.4 million

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs49%Police, fire, courts and jails35%Parks, recreation and libraries7.2%Roads, transit and parking6.8%Health and hospitals1.3%All other spending1.6%

What stands out

49%

of Lake County's spending goes to running the government and other costs.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 17%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
49%$138 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$67.8 million
  • Other and not broken out$59.4 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$9.3 million
  • Government buildings$1.1 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
35%$97.7 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; prisons and jails and 4 more
  • Courts and legal services$38.9 million
  • Prisons and jails$26.2 million
  • Police$25.3 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$6.0 million
  • Fire protection$1.1 million
  • Inspections and regulation$216 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
7.2%$20.3 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$20.3 million
Roads, transit and parking
6.8%$19.3 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$19.3 million
Health and hospitals
1.3%$3.6 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$3.6 million
Housing and community development
1.0%$2.9 million
Environment and natural resources
0.3%$849 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$849 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.2%$692 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems
  • Sewer systems$692 thousand
Interest on debt
<0.1%$89 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 December 31, 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.