County government · Dorchester County, MD

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Dorchester County took in $189 million and spent $203 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

State tax money58%County taxes31%Fines and other5.9%Fees for services (garbage collection, airport)3.4%Federal tax money0.9%

What stands out

58%

of Dorchester County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 23%.

County taxes31%

Property tax
19%$36.6 million
Individual income tax
9.4%$17.9 million
Other taxes
2.6%$4.9 million
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; other selective sales taxes and 3 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$2.3 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$2.2 million
  • Other licenses$306 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$96 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$18 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services3.4%

Fees for services
3.4%$6.5 million
What's in fees for servicesGarbage collection; other service charges and 5 more
  • Garbage collection$3.6 million
  • Other service charges$2.2 million
  • Airport$382 thousand
  • School lunches$87 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$80 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$68 thousand
  • Road charges$21 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.9%

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

From the federal government
0.9%$1.7 million

State tax money58%

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

From the state
58%$111 million

Fines and other5.9%

Interest, rents and other
5.9%$11.2 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges64%Sent to other local governments11%Running the government and other costs10%Police, fire, courts and jails8.6%Roads, transit and parking2.8%All other spending3.2%

What stands out

64%

of Dorchester County's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. counties of under 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
64%$129 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$129 million
Sent to other local governments
11%$23.0 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$23.0 million
Running the government and other costs
10%$21.0 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$18.8 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.0 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$929 thousand
  • Government buildings$282 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
8.6%$17.4 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsFire protection; police and 3 more
  • Fire protection$6.6 million
  • Police$4.8 million
  • Prisons and jails$4.7 million
  • Courts and legal services$1.2 million
  • Inspections and regulation$28 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
2.8%$5.7 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$4.1 million
  • Airports$1.5 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.5%$3.1 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$3.1 million
Interest on debt
1.0%$2.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.3%$674 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$674 thousand
Environment and natural resources
0.2%$423 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$423 thousand
Health and hospitals
0.1%$213 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$213 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Dorchester County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of Dorchester 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.