City government · Buncombe County, NC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Asheville took in $299 million and spent $306 million.

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

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Where it comes from

City taxes44%Fees for services (water, liquor stores)41%Federal tax money5.1%State tax money4.8%Fines and other4.5%County and local tax money0.7%

What stands out

41%

of Asheville's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 30%.

City taxes44%

Property tax
26%$78.6 million
Sales tax
13%$39.1 million
Other taxes
4.2%$12.5 million
What's in other taxesMotor vehicle licenses; alcoholic beverage taxes and 2 more
  • Motor vehicle licenses$7.5 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$4.1 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$940 thousand
  • Other licenses-$1 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services41%

Fees for services
41%$124 million
What's in fees for servicesWater; liquor stores and 9 more
  • Water$45.7 million
  • Liquor stores$40.0 million
  • Sewer$8.2 million
  • Parking$6.4 million
  • Garbage collection$6.3 million
  • Other government-run businesses$4.9 million
  • Parks and recreation$4.7 million
  • Other service charges$4.2 million
  • Road charges$2.8 million
  • Transit fares$577 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$52 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money5.1%

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

From the federal government
5.1%$15.4 million

State tax money4.8%

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

From the state
4.8%$14.2 million

County and local tax money0.7%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.7%$2.0 million

Fines and other4.5%

Interest, rents and other
4.5%$13.5 million
Fines
<0.1%$69 thousand

Where it goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities30%Police, fire, courts and jails27%Roads, transit and parking13%Running the government and other costs13%Parks, recreation and libraries11%All other spending7.3%

What stands out

30%

of Asheville's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people spends 20%.

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
30%$90.9 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply; liquor stores and 2 more
  • Water supply$43.4 million
  • Liquor stores$34.2 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$7.8 million
  • Sewer systems$5.5 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
27%$81.2 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsFire protection; police and 2 more
  • Fire protection$42.4 million
  • Police$37.2 million
  • Courts and legal services$1.4 million
  • Inspections and regulation$252 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
13%$40.2 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; public transit and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$21.0 million
  • Public transit$14.6 million
  • Parking$4.6 million
Running the government and other costs
13%$38.2 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$16.9 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$12.7 million
  • Government buildings$4.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$4.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
11%$32.7 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$32.7 million
Housing and community development
4.4%$13.4 million
Interest on debt
2.7%$8.2 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$6.1 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$2.1 million
Health and hospitals
0.1%$343 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$343 thousand
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$291 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$291 thousand
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$111 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$111 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Asheville. 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 City of Asheville 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.