County government · Dakota County, MN

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Dakota County took in $572 million and spent $488 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes33%State tax money25%Federal tax money24%Fees for services (garbage collection, parks and recreation)10%Fines and other5.5%Local tax money2.7%

What stands out

24%

of Dakota County's money comes from federal tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 4.5%.

County taxes33%

Property tax
27%$155 million
Sales tax
4.3%$24.4 million
Other taxes
1.4%$7.8 million
What's in other taxesMotor vehicle licenses; other licenses and 2 more
  • Motor vehicle licenses$4.0 million
  • Other licenses$2.6 million
  • Severance taxes$781 thousand
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$428 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services10%

Fees for services
10%$57.9 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 2 more
  • Other service charges$47.6 million
  • Garbage collection$8.7 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.4 million
  • Road charges$166 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money24%

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

From the federal government
24%$138 million

State tax money25%

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

From the state
25%$142 million

Local tax money2.7%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
2.7%$15.3 million

Fines and other5.5%

Interest, rents and other
5.4%$31.2 million
Fines
<0.1%$70 thousand

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs42%Social services24%Police, fire, courts and jails11%Parks, recreation and libraries6.6%Roads, transit and parking4.5%All other spending11%

What stands out

24%

of Dakota County's spending goes to social services.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 4.3%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
42%$207 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 1 more
  • Other and not broken out$201 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.1 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$916 thousand
Social services
24%$118 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$118 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
11%$53.3 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice and prisons and jails
  • Police$29.6 million
  • Prisons and jails$23.6 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
6.6%$32.3 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$16.9 million
  • Libraries$15.4 million
Roads, transit and parking
4.5%$22.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and public transit
  • Roads and highways$21.5 million
  • Public transit$511 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
4.3%$20.7 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesElectric power and garbage and solid waste
  • Electric power$13.1 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$7.6 million
Health and hospitals
2.6%$12.6 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$12.6 million
Environment and natural resources
2.4%$11.8 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$11.8 million
Housing and community development
1.8%$8.6 million
Interest on debt
0.4%$2.0 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Dakota County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

What this covers. The money of Dakota 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.