County government · Polk County, MN

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Polk County took in $80.6 million and spent $78.5 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes34%State tax money30%Fees for services (sewer, garbage collection)14%Fines and other12%Federal tax money8.8%Local tax money0.5%

What stands out

12%

of Polk County's money comes from interest, rents and other revenue.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 4.1%.

County taxes34%

Property tax
34%$27.4 million
Other taxes
0.2%$157 thousand
What's in other taxesOther licenses
  • Other licenses$157 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services14%

Fees for services
14%$11.7 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; other service charges and 3 more
  • Sewer$4.0 million
  • Other service charges$3.8 million
  • Garbage collection$3.4 million
  • Road charges$214 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$148 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money8.8%

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

From the federal government
8.8%$7.1 million

State tax money30%

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

From the state
30%$23.9 million

Local tax money0.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.5%$387 thousand

Fines and other12%

Interest, rents and other
12%$10.0 million
Fines
<0.1%$16 thousand

Where it goes

Social services23%Roads, transit and parking21%Police, fire, courts and jails18%Water, sewer, trash and utilities15%Running the government and other costs15%All other spending8.9%

What stands out

23%

of Polk County's spending goes to social services.Most U.S. counties of under 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Social services
23%$17.9 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$17.9 million
Roads, transit and parking
21%$16.3 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$16.3 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
18%$13.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice and prisons and jails
  • Police$7.9 million
  • Prisons and jails$5.9 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
15%$12.0 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$7.3 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$4.7 million
Running the government and other costs
15%$11.5 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$10.4 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$825 thousand
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$290 thousand
Health and hospitals
4.4%$3.5 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$3.5 million
Environment and natural resources
2.4%$1.9 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.9 million
Interest on debt
1.5%$1.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.7%$512 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$291 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$221 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Polk 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 Polk 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.