County government · Flathead County, MT

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Flathead County took in $146 million and spent $135 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes45%Fees for services (airport, garbage collection)21%Federal tax money15%Fines and other12%State tax money6.7%Local tax money0.1%

What stands out

15%

of Flathead County's money comes from federal tax money.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 3.6%.

County taxes45%

Property tax
44%$64.9 million
Other taxes
0.3%$404 thousand
What's in other taxesOther licenses; amusement licenses and 2 more
  • Other licenses$269 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$53 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$50 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$32 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services21%

Fees for services
21%$30.5 million
What's in fees for servicesAirport; garbage collection and 5 more
  • Airport$13.0 million
  • Garbage collection$9.0 million
  • Other service charges$6.1 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$1.4 million
  • Road charges$602 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$353 thousand
  • Transit fares$41 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money15%

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

From the federal government
15%$22.5 million

State tax money6.7%

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

From the state
6.7%$9.8 million

Local tax money0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.1%$180 thousand

Fines and other12%

Interest, rents and other
12%$17.3 million
Fines
0.4%$526 thousand

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs26%Roads, transit and parking20%Sent to other local governments19%Police, fire, courts and jails18%Health and hospitals7.1%All other spending10%

What stands out

19%

of Flathead County's spending goes to local governments.Most U.S. counties of 50,000 to 250,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
26%$35.1 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$16.9 million
  • Other and not broken out$13.8 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$2.8 million
  • Government buildings$1.6 million
Roads, transit and parking
20%$27.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; airports and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$13.6 million
  • Airports$11.8 million
  • Public transit$1.7 million
Sent to other local governments
19%$25.2 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$25.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
18%$23.9 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Police$19.1 million
  • Courts and legal services$4.2 million
  • Prisons and jails$359 thousand
  • Fire protection$267 thousand
Health and hospitals
7.1%$9.6 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$9.6 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
6.3%$8.5 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$8.5 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
2.8%$3.7 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$2.5 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.3 million
Environment and natural resources
1.0%$1.4 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.4 million
Interest on debt
0.2%$260 thousand
Social services
<0.1%$90 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$90 thousand
Schools and colleges
<0.1%$22 thousand
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$22 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Flathead County. 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 Flathead 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.