City government · Rockingham County, NH

Portsmouth's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Portsmouth took in $199 million and spent $199 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

City taxes54%Fees for services (sewer, water)25%State tax money9.8%Fines and other6.8%County and local tax money4.3%Federal tax money0.1%

What stands out

49%

of Portsmouth's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people gets 19%.

City taxes54%

Property tax
49%$98.0 million
Other taxes
4.4%$8.7 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses
  • Other licenses$8.7 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services25%

Fees for services
25%$50.2 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; other service charges and 6 more
  • Sewer$20.1 million
  • Other service charges$14.2 million
  • Water$8.7 million
  • Parking$6.2 million
  • School lunches$566 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$236 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$95 thousand
  • Other school charges$18 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.1%

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

From the federal government
0.1%$217 thousand

State tax money9.8%

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

From the state
9.8%$19.4 million

County and local tax money4.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
4.3%$8.6 million

Fines and other6.8%

Interest, rents and other
6.0%$11.9 million
Fines
0.8%$1.6 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges34%Running the government and other costs22%Water, sewer, trash and utilities15%Police, fire, courts and jails14%Roads, transit and parking11%All other spending4.0%

What stands out

34%

of Portsmouth's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
34%$67.6 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$67.6 million
Running the government and other costs
22%$44.7 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 1 more
  • Other and not broken out$34.9 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$9.8 million
  • Government buildings$2 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
15%$29.2 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and water supply
  • Sewer systems$17.0 million
  • Water supply$12.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
14%$28.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice and fire protection
  • Police$18.1 million
  • Fire protection$10.7 million
Roads, transit and parking
11%$21.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
  • Roads and highways$16.9 million
  • Parking$4.1 million
Interest on debt
3.3%$6.5 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$5.9 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$617 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.6%$1.2 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$1.1 million
  • Libraries$72 thousand
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$167 thousand
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$167 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Portsmouth. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of City of Portsmouth 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.