County government · Cole County, MO

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Cole County took in $54.6 million and spent $52.1 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes64%State tax money16%Fees for services14%Fines and other5.6%

What stands out

48%

of Cole County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 4.2%.

County taxes64%

Sales tax
48%$26.1 million
Property tax
13%$6.8 million
Other taxes
3.8%$2.1 million
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes and other selective sales taxes
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$2.1 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$27 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services14%

Fees for services
14%$7.9 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges
  • Other service charges$7.9 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

State tax money16%

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

From the state
16%$8.7 million

Fines and other5.6%

Interest, rents and other
5.6%$3.1 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails36%Roads, transit and parking32%Running the government and other costs22%Health and hospitals9.6%Parks, recreation and libraries0.2%

What stands out

32%

of Cole County's spending goes to roads, transit and parking.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 8.9%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
36%$18.7 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice and courts and legal services
  • Police$17.4 million
  • Courts and legal services$1.3 million
Roads, transit and parking
32%$16.9 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$16.9 million
Running the government and other costs
22%$11.4 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); finance, tax collection and budgeting and 1 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$5.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$4.7 million
  • Government buildings$1.2 million
Health and hospitals
9.6%$5.0 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$5.0 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.2%$113 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$113 thousand
Interest on debt
<0.1%$23 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Cole 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 Cole 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.