City government · Baltimore City, MD

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Baltimore took in $4.94 billion and spent $5.73 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

City taxes36%State tax money34%Fees for services (sewer, water)16%Fines and other6.9%Federal tax money6.7%County and local tax money0.6%

What stands out

34%

of Baltimore's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 6.4%.

City taxes36%

Property tax
21%$1.05 billion
Individual income tax
7.8%$386 million
Other taxes
6.8%$336 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; real estate and stock transfer taxes and 7 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$112 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$93.7 million
  • Public utility taxes$81.8 million
  • Other licenses$25.9 million
  • Amusement taxes$10.1 million
  • Public utility licenses$5.1 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$4.3 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$2.1 million
  • Amusement licenses$604 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services16%

Fees for services
16%$806 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; water and 9 more
  • Sewer$401 million
  • Water$241 million
  • Other service charges$76.7 million
  • Parking$60.2 million
  • Garbage collection$17.7 million
  • Other government-run businesses$3.1 million
  • Road charges$3.0 million
  • Other school charges$2.5 million
  • School tuition and transportation$661 thousand
  • School lunches$2 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$2 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money6.7%

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

From the federal government
6.7%$332 million

State tax money34%

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

From the state
34%$1.66 billion

County and local tax money0.6%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.6%$28.4 million

Fines and other6.9%

Interest, rents and other
6.3%$309 million
Fines
0.6%$30.0 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges35%Water, sewer, trash and utilities22%Running the government and other costs17%Police, fire, courts and jails16%Health and hospitals4.3%All other spending6.0%

What stands out

35%

of Baltimore's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. cities of 50,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
35%$2.01 billion
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$2.01 billion
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
22%$1.28 billion
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more
  • Sewer systems$645 million
  • Water supply$394 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$240 million
Running the government and other costs
17%$959 million
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$715 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$131 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$107 million
  • Other government-run businesses$4.7 million
  • Government buildings$969 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
16%$895 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$494 million
  • Fire protection$276 million
  • Courts and legal services$96.3 million
  • Inspections and regulation$28.6 million
Health and hospitals
4.3%$246 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$246 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.9%$109 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$78.8 million
  • Libraries$30.4 million
Interest on debt
1.8%$105 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$61.1 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$43.8 million
Roads, transit and parking
1.1%$63.2 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
  • Roads and highways$43.0 million
  • Parking$20.2 million
Housing and community development
0.6%$33.9 million
Sent to other local governments
0.5%$30.1 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$30.1 million
Social services
<0.1%$3.4 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$3.4 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Baltimore. 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 City of Baltimore 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.