State government

Maine's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Maine took in $13.7 billion and spent $13.7 billion.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

State taxes47%Federal tax money37%Fees for services (college tuition, liquor stores)9.9%Fines and other5.2%Local tax money0.2%

What stands out

18%

of Maine's money comes from a personal income tax.A typical state government gets 14%.

State taxes47%

Individual income tax
18%$2.40 billion
Sales tax
17%$2.35 billion
Other taxes
9.2%$1.25 billion
What's in other taxesMotor fuel taxes; other selective sales taxes and 15 more
  • Motor fuel taxes$247 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$213 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$142 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$134 million
  • Tobacco taxes$128 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$126 million
  • Amusement taxes$68.5 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$48.7 million
  • Estate and gift taxes$29.1 million
  • Public utility taxes$22.8 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$22.4 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$19.0 million
  • Other licenses$18.1 million
  • Corporation licenses$14.8 million
  • Driver's licenses$12.3 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$8.1 million
  • Amusement licenses$797 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Business income tax
3.4%$460 million
Property tax
0.3%$40.0 million

Fees for services9.9%

Fees for services
9.9%$1.36 billion
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; college tuition and 11 more
  • Other service charges$447 million
  • College tuition$282 million
  • Liquor stores$259 million
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$180 million
  • University housing and dining$86.7 million
  • Hospital bills$47.6 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$23.6 million
  • Housing$16.8 million
  • Transit fares$14.8 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.4 million
  • Road charges$283 thousand
  • Airport$245 thousand
  • Other education charges$181 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money37%

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

From the federal government
37%$5.11 billion

Local tax money0.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.2%$24.2 million

Fines and other5.2%

Interest, rents and other
4.6%$625 million
Fines
0.6%$82.6 million

Where it goes

Social services42%Sent to local governments17%Schools and colleges11%Roads, transit and parking7.6%Running the government and other costs7.4%All other spending14%

What stands out

42%

of Maine's spending goes to social services.A typical state government spends 31%.

Spending by category100%

Social services
42%$5.80 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 1 more
  • Other public welfare$5.70 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$95.5 million
  • Veterans' services$4.1 million
Sent to local governments
17%$2.30 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools and 14 more
  • Sent to school districts$1.00 billion
  • Sent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools$641 million
  • Sent to local governments: general support$364 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$136 million
  • Sent to local governments: finance, tax collection and budgeting$29.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$27.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$25.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$23.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$20.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$16.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$6.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$3.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$3.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$840 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$116 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$68 thousand
Schools and colleges
11%$1.57 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$1.01 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$220 million
  • Other education$211 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$108 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$14.5 million
Roads, transit and parking
7.6%$1.05 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; toll roads and bridges and 3 more
  • Roads and highways$856 million
  • Toll roads and bridges$153 million
  • Public transit$35.5 million
  • Airports$1.4 million
  • Ports and harbors$542 thousand
Running the government and other costs
7.4%$1.01 billion
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$481 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$328 million
  • Government buildings$71.7 million
  • Other government administration$69.3 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$61.5 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
4.1%$563 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$191 million
  • Courts and legal services$156 million
  • Police$134 million
  • Inspections and regulation$59.5 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$21.6 million
Health and hospitals
2.9%$404 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$266 million
  • Hospitals$138 million
Housing and community development
2.2%$301 million
Environment and natural resources
2.2%$295 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$295 million
Interest on debt
1.6%$215 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.3%$177 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesLiquor stores
  • Liquor stores$177 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.1%$20.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$13.5 million
  • Libraries$7.0 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

State of Maine. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

What this covers. The money of State of Maine 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.

Counties16 counties, A to Z
Cities and towns483 cities, towns and townships, A to Z
School districts111 school districts, A to Z