County government · Durham County, NC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Durham County took in $1.30 billion and spent $1.23 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money41%County taxes39%Fees for services (liquor stores, sewer)9.8%Fines and other4.8%Local tax money2.7%Federal tax money2.2%

What stands out

41%

of Durham County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 19%.

County taxes39%

Property tax
28%$369 million
Sales tax
10%$130 million
Other taxes
0.9%$12.3 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; motor vehicle licenses and 3 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$4.6 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$3.6 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$3.0 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$737 thousand
  • Other licenses$301 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services9.8%

Fees for services
9.8%$128 million
What's in fees for servicesLiquor stores; sewer and 10 more
  • Liquor stores$47.9 million
  • Sewer$22.4 million
  • Other service charges$11.1 million
  • Other government-run businesses$10.4 million
  • Garbage collection$8.7 million
  • School tuition and transportation$7.9 million
  • College tuition$6.5 million
  • Parks and recreation$6.3 million
  • Parking$5.8 million
  • School lunches$535 thousand
  • University housing and dining$373 thousand
  • Other school charges$8 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.2%

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

From the federal government
2.2%$28.1 million

State tax money41%

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

From the state
41%$535 million

Local tax money2.7%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
2.7%$34.8 million

Fines and other4.8%

Interest, rents and other
4.8%$62.8 million
Fines
<0.1%$164 thousand

Where it goes

Schools and colleges54%Water, sewer, trash and utilities12%Running the government and other costs7.2%Health and hospitals5.6%Social services5.3%All other spending16%

What stands out

54%

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

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
54%$661 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools; colleges and universities and 2 more
  • Elementary and secondary schools$603 million
  • Colleges and universities$54.6 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$2.5 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$1.3 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
12%$151 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 2 more
  • Sewer systems$60.9 million
  • Water supply$43.7 million
  • Liquor stores$41.4 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$5.1 million
Running the government and other costs
7.2%$88.5 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$27.2 million
  • Other and not broken out$26.4 million
  • Government buildings$19.2 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$15.7 million
Health and hospitals
5.6%$69.4 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$69.4 million
Social services
5.3%$66.0 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$66.0 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
5.3%$65.5 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 2 more
  • Police$34.5 million
  • Prisons and jails$27.2 million
  • Courts and legal services$2.8 million
  • Fire protection$977 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.1%$50.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$35.3 million
  • Libraries$15.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
2.8%$34.9 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; public transit and 2 more
  • Roads and highways$21.8 million
  • Public transit$9.4 million
  • Parking$3.8 million
  • Airports$13 thousand
Interest on debt
2.8%$34.7 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$29.0 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$5.6 million
Sent to other local governments
0.7%$8.3 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$8.3 million
Housing and community development
0.3%$4.3 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$219 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$219 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Durham 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 Durham 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.