County government · Barnstable County, MA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Barnstable County took in $132 million and spent $132 million.

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

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Where it comes from

Fees for services (electric power, parks, land and natural resources)55%County taxes18%State tax money14%Fines and other7.3%Federal tax money5.7%

What stands out

55%

of Barnstable County's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 11%.

County taxes18%

Other taxes
15%$20.1 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 1 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$15.6 million
  • Other licenses$4.0 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$492 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Property tax
2.9%$3.8 million

Fees for services55%

Fees for services
55%$72.1 million
What's in fees for servicesElectric power; other service charges and 1 more
  • Electric power$62.5 million
  • Other service charges$8.4 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$1.3 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money5.7%

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

From the federal government
5.7%$7.6 million

State tax money14%

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

From the state
14%$18.8 million

Local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
<0.1%$12 thousand

Fines and other7.3%

Interest, rents and other
7.3%$9.7 million

Where it goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities56%Running the government and other costs27%Health and hospitals11%Environment and natural resources3.6%Social services1.1%All other spending0.8%

What stands out

56%

of Barnstable County's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 1.6%.

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
56%$73.8 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesElectric power
  • Electric power$73.8 million
Running the government and other costs
27%$35.8 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$22.9 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$7.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.0 million
  • Government buildings$2.7 million
Health and hospitals
11%$15.1 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$15.1 million
Environment and natural resources
3.6%$4.8 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$4.8 million
Social services
1.1%$1.4 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$1.4 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
0.4%$537 thousand
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice and fire protection
  • Police$340 thousand
  • Fire protection$197 thousand
Interest on debt
0.4%$513 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Barnstable 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 Barnstable 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.