County government · Cortland County, NY

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Cortland County took in $156 million and spent $157 million.

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

See every government that serves your ZIP

Where it comes from

County taxes55%State tax money23%Fines and other9.4%Fees for services (garbage collection, airport)8.1%Federal tax money2.8%Local tax money1.5%

What stands out

31%

of Cortland County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 1.6%.

County taxes55%

Sales tax
31%$47.6 million
Property tax
24%$37.7 million
Other taxes
0.7%$1.0 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; public utility taxes and 1 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$864 thousand
  • Public utility taxes$130 thousand
  • Other licenses$50 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services8.1%

Fees for services
8.1%$12.5 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 3 more
  • Other service charges$8.8 million
  • Garbage collection$3.3 million
  • Airport$338 thousand
  • Housing$64 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$13 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.8%

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

From the federal government
2.8%$4.4 million

State tax money23%

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

From the state
23%$35.4 million

Local tax money1.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.5%$2.3 million

Fines and other9.4%

Interest, rents and other
9.3%$14.5 million
Fines
<0.1%$66 thousand

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs23%Sent to other local governments23%Social services15%Police, fire, courts and jails12%Health and hospitals9.1%All other spending18%

What stands out

23%

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

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
23%$36.7 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$30.2 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$3.1 million
  • Government buildings$2.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.3 million
Sent to other local governments
23%$35.5 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out and sent to the state government
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$26.1 million
  • Sent to the state government$9.4 million
Social services
15%$23.2 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$23.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
12%$18.7 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 3 more
  • Police$6.6 million
  • Prisons and jails$6.3 million
  • Courts and legal services$4.0 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$1.9 million
  • Inspections and regulation$40 thousand
Health and hospitals
9.1%$14.4 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$14.4 million
Roads, transit and parking
8.7%$13.8 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; public transit and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$12.4 million
  • Public transit$1.0 million
  • Airports$386 thousand
Environment and natural resources
4.5%$7.1 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$7.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.7%$2.7 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$2.7 million
Schools and colleges
1.3%$2.0 million
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities
  • Colleges and universities$2.0 million
Housing and community development
1.1%$1.7 million
Interest on debt
0.9%$1.4 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.2%$311 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$311 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Cortland 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 Cortland 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.