City government · Worcester County, MA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Fitchburg took in $269 million and spent $294 million.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money46%City taxes30%Fees for services (sewer, water)16%Federal tax money5.7%Fines and other2.0%County and local tax money0.3%

What stands out

46%

of Fitchburg's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people gets 7%.

City taxes30%

Property tax
27%$73.4 million
Other taxes
2.7%$7.3 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes and other licenses
  • Other selective sales taxes$6.0 million
  • Other licenses$1.3 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services16%

Fees for services
16%$43.9 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; water and 4 more
  • Sewer$18.3 million
  • Water$14.8 million
  • Other service charges$10.2 million
  • School lunches$387 thousand
  • Garbage collection$235 thousand
  • Other school charges$98 thousand

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%$15.3 million

State tax money46%

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

From the state
46%$123 million

County and local tax money0.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.3%$859 thousand

Fines and other2.0%

Interest, rents and other
1.9%$5.1 million
Fines
<0.1%$172 thousand

Where it goes

Schools and colleges55%Running the government and other costs16%Police, fire, courts and jails9.8%Water, sewer, trash and utilities8.6%Sent to other local governments3.5%All other spending6.8%

What stands out

55%

of Fitchburg's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
55%$161 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$161 million
Running the government and other costs
16%$48.5 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$41.9 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.0 million
  • Government buildings$2.1 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$1.5 million
  • Other government-run businesses$3 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
9.8%$28.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$13.8 million
  • Fire protection$13.2 million
  • Inspections and regulation$1.0 million
  • Courts and legal services$774 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
8.6%$25.4 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more
  • Sewer systems$13.2 million
  • Water supply$8.5 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$3.6 million
Sent to other local governments
3.5%$10.4 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out and sent to the state government
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$9.3 million
  • Sent to the state government$1.2 million
Roads, transit and parking
3.5%$10.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
  • Roads and highways$10.1 million
  • Parking$340 thousand
Interest on debt
1.2%$3.6 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$3.3 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$309 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.9%$2.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$1.7 million
  • Parks and recreation$887 thousand
Housing and community development
0.5%$1.4 million
Health and hospitals
0.4%$1.1 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$1.1 million
Social services
0.3%$946 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$946 thousand
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$11 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$11 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Fitchburg. 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 Fitchburg 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.