County government · Sussex County, NJ

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Sussex County took in $178 million and spent $145 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes57%Fees for services (garbage collection, college tuition)21%State tax money8.4%Federal tax money7.3%Local tax money3.3%Fines and other2.9%

What stands out

57%

of Sussex County's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 28%.

County taxes57%

Property tax
57%$101 million
Other taxes
<0.1%$68 thousand
What's in other taxesPublic utility taxes
  • Public utility taxes$68 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services21%

Fees for services
21%$37.4 million
What's in fees for servicesGarbage collection; college tuition and 5 more
  • Garbage collection$20.6 million
  • College tuition$12.6 million
  • Other service charges$2.8 million
  • Other school charges$531 thousand
  • University housing and dining$449 thousand
  • School lunches$417 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$4 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money7.3%

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

From the federal government
7.3%$13.0 million

State tax money8.4%

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

From the state
8.4%$15.0 million

Local tax money3.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
3.3%$5.9 million

Fines and other2.9%

Interest, rents and other
2.9%$5.1 million
Fines
<0.1%$29 thousand

Where it goes

Schools and colleges34%Running the government and other costs27%Police, fire, courts and jails14%Roads, transit and parking8.0%Social services4.5%All other spending12%

What stands out

34%

of Sussex County's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. counties of 50,000 to 250,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
34%$50.1 million
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; elementary and secondary schools and 1 more
  • Colleges and universities$26.8 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$20.4 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$2.9 million
Running the government and other costs
27%$39.4 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$29.8 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$3.4 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.2 million
  • Government buildings$3.0 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
14%$20.5 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Police$9.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$5.5 million
  • Prisons and jails$4.5 million
  • Fire protection$522 thousand
  • Inspections and regulation$168 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
8.0%$11.6 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and public transit
  • Roads and highways$10.4 million
  • Public transit$1.2 million
Social services
4.5%$6.6 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare and welfare institutions
  • Other public welfare$6.0 million
  • Welfare institutions$588 thousand
Health and hospitals
4.5%$6.5 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$6.5 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.4%$6.4 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries
  • Libraries$6.4 million
Interest on debt
2.9%$4.3 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$94 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$94 thousand
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$4 thousand
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government
  • Sent to the state government$4 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Sussex 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 Sussex 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.