County government · Stearns County, MN

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Stearns County took in $209 million and spent $193 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes50%State tax money37%Fines and other8.0%Federal tax money2.3%Local tax money1.0%Fees for services (garbage collection, parks and recreation)0.9%

What stands out

37%

of Stearns County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 22%.

County taxes50%

Property tax
43%$90.2 million
Sales tax
4.2%$8.7 million
Other taxes
2.9%$6.0 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses; public utility taxes and 3 more
  • Other licenses$3.5 million
  • Public utility taxes$1.4 million
  • Severance taxes$715 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$287 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$53 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services0.9%

Fees for services
0.9%$1.9 million
What's in fees for servicesGarbage collection; parks and recreation and 1 more
  • Garbage collection$1.4 million
  • Parks and recreation$333 thousand
  • Road charges$145 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.3%

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

From the federal government
2.3%$4.9 million

State tax money37%

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

From the state
37%$78.1 million

Local tax money1.0%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.0%$2.1 million

Fines and other8.0%

Interest, rents and other
7.9%$16.4 million
Fines
0.1%$287 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails27%Roads, transit and parking25%Social services24%Running the government and other costs13%Parks, recreation and libraries3.4%All other spending7.3%

What stands out

24%

of Stearns County's spending goes to social services.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 1.5%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
27%$51.9 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 1 more
  • Prisons and jails$22.5 million
  • Police$19.2 million
  • Courts and legal services$10.2 million
Roads, transit and parking
25%$47.9 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$47.9 million
Social services
24%$46.5 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$46.5 million
Running the government and other costs
13%$26.0 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$15.8 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.6 million
  • Government buildings$4.5 million
  • Other government-run businesses$123 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.4%$6.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$3.4 million
  • Libraries$3.1 million
Environment and natural resources
2.9%$5.6 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$5.6 million
Health and hospitals
2.1%$4.0 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$4.0 million
Sent to other local governments
1.7%$3.3 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$3.3 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.4%$771 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$771 thousand
Interest on debt
0.2%$331 thousand
Housing and community development
<0.1%$141 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Stearns 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 Stearns 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.