County government · Avery County, NC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Avery County took in $68.6 million and spent $69.0 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes52%State tax money35%Fines and other6.0%Fees for services (hospital bills, garbage collection)5.2%Local tax money1.4%Federal tax money0.6%

What stands out

14%

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

County taxes52%

Property tax
36%$24.8 million
Sales tax
14%$9.6 million
Other taxes
1.6%$1.1 million
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; other licenses and 1 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$975 thousand
  • Other licenses$58 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$37 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services5.2%

Fees for services
5.2%$3.6 million
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; other service charges and 7 more
  • Hospital bills$1.2 million
  • Other service charges$915 thousand
  • Garbage collection$553 thousand
  • Transit fares$310 thousand
  • Other government-run businesses$216 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$104 thousand
  • Airport$94 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$94 thousand
  • School lunches$76 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.6%

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

From the federal government
0.6%$404 thousand

State tax money35%

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

From the state
35%$24.0 million

Local tax money1.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.4%$978 thousand

Fines and other6.0%

Interest, rents and other
5.9%$4.0 million
Fines
0.1%$90 thousand

Where it goes

Schools and colleges44%Police, fire, courts and jails20%Social services11%Running the government and other costs7.1%Health and hospitals6.0%All other spending12%

What stands out

44%

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

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
44%$30.5 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$30.5 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
20%$13.6 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 3 more
  • Police$7.1 million
  • Fire protection$3.8 million
  • Prisons and jails$2.2 million
  • Inspections and regulation$383 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$138 thousand
Social services
11%$7.3 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$7.3 million
Running the government and other costs
7.1%$4.9 million
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting; government buildings and 2 more
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.5 million
  • Government buildings$1.5 million
  • Other and not broken out$1.1 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$854 thousand
Health and hospitals
6.0%$4.1 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$4.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
4.2%$2.9 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$2.9 million
Roads, transit and parking
3.5%$2.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingAirports and public transit
  • Airports$1.3 million
  • Public transit$1.1 million
Housing and community development
1.4%$986 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.2%$823 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$684 thousand
  • Libraries$139 thousand
Interest on debt
0.8%$567 thousand
Sent to other local governments
0.6%$431 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$431 thousand
Environment and natural resources
0.5%$364 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$364 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Avery County. 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 Avery 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.