County government · Mercer County, NJ

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Mercer County took in $515 million and spent $506 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes55%Fees for services (garbage collection, college tuition)20%Local tax money11%State tax money7.5%Federal tax money4.1%Fines and other2.1%

What stands out

11%

of Mercer County's money comes from county and other local tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 1.4%.

County taxes55%

Property tax
55%$284 million

Fees for services20%

Fees for services
20%$103 million
What's in fees for servicesGarbage collection; college tuition and 8 more
  • Garbage collection$31.1 million
  • College tuition$30.9 million
  • Other service charges$11.3 million
  • Parks and recreation$10.6 million
  • Other school charges$7.2 million
  • Airport$6.9 million
  • School tuition and transportation$3.5 million
  • University housing and dining$1.8 million
  • Road charges$99 thousand
  • School lunches$89 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money4.1%

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

From the federal government
4.1%$21.3 million

State tax money7.5%

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

From the state
7.5%$38.6 million

Local tax money11%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
11%$57.1 million

Fines and other2.1%

Interest, rents and other
1.9%$9.7 million
Fines
0.2%$1.2 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges34%Running the government and other costs27%Police, fire, courts and jails19%Social services6.1%Interest on debt4.6%All other spending9.5%

What stands out

34%

of Mercer County's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
34%$170 million
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; elementary and secondary schools and 2 more
  • Colleges and universities$86.1 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$79.7 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$4.0 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$340 thousand
Running the government and other costs
27%$137 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; government buildings and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$123 million
  • Government buildings$5.7 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.3 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$3.4 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
19%$95.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Prisons and jails$36.0 million
  • Courts and legal services$33.7 million
  • Police$25.0 million
  • Inspections and regulation$1.1 million
Social services
6.1%$30.9 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$30.9 million
Interest on debt
4.6%$23.4 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.8%$19.1 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$19.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
3.4%$17.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$9.2 million
  • Airports$8.2 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.2%$6.2 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$6.2 million
Health and hospitals
1.1%$5.5 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$5.5 million
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$101 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$101 thousand
Housing and community development
<0.1%$42 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Mercer 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 Mercer 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.