County government · Columbus County, NC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Columbus County took in $271 million and spent $260 million.

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

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Where it comes from

Fees for services (hospital bills, university housing and dining)48%State tax money39%Fines and other7.3%County taxes4.5%Local tax money0.9%Federal tax money0.4%

What stands out

48%

of Columbus County's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 8.4%.

County taxes4.5%

Property tax
4.5%$12.2 million

Fees for services48%

Fees for services
48%$131 million
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; university housing and dining and 4 more
  • Hospital bills$129 million
  • University housing and dining$971 thousand
  • College tuition$511 thousand
  • School lunches$333 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$60 thousand
  • Other school charges$34 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.4%

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

From the federal government
0.4%$980 thousand

State tax money39%

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

From the state
39%$105 million

Local tax money0.9%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.9%$2.6 million

Fines and other7.3%

Interest, rents and other
7.2%$19.7 million
Fines
<0.1%$208 thousand

Where it goes

Schools and colleges51%Health and hospitals48%Sent to other local governments0.6%

What stands out

51%

of Columbus 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
51%$133 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools; colleges and universities and 2 more
  • Elementary and secondary schools$107 million
  • Colleges and universities$23.2 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$1.1 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$1.0 million
Health and hospitals
48%$126 million
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals
  • Hospitals$126 million
Sent to other local governments
0.6%$1.6 million
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$1.6 million
Interest on debt
<0.1%$25 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Columbus 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 Columbus 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.