County government · Gaston County, NC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Gaston County took in $817 million and spent $788 million.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money43%County taxes36%Fines and other11%Fees for services (garbage collection, college tuition)6.5%Federal tax money2.4%Local tax money1.3%

What stands out

43%

of Gaston County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 22%.

County taxes36%

Property tax
26%$215 million
Sales tax
8.7%$70.9 million
Other taxes
0.9%$7.3 million
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; occupation and business licenses and 3 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$2.2 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$2.1 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.5 million
  • Other licenses$1.1 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$375 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services6.5%

Fees for services
6.5%$53.2 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 11 more
  • Other service charges$19.4 million
  • Garbage collection$13.0 million
  • College tuition$5.5 million
  • Hospital bills$4.0 million
  • Other government-run businesses$3.7 million
  • School lunches$3.4 million
  • University housing and dining$3.0 million
  • Electric power$693 thousand
  • Transit fares$234 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$224 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$46 thousand
  • Other school charges$38 thousand
  • Parking$10 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.4%

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

From the federal government
2.4%$19.4 million

State tax money43%

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

From the state
43%$354 million

Local tax money1.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.3%$10.3 million

Fines and other11%

Interest, rents and other
10%$83.9 million
Fines
0.3%$2.7 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges59%Police, fire, courts and jails13%Social services8.4%Running the government and other costs7.5%Health and hospitals5.7%All other spending6.4%

What stands out

59%

of Gaston County's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. counties of 50,000 to 250,000 people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
59%$466 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools; colleges and universities and 2 more
  • Elementary and secondary schools$405 million
  • Colleges and universities$54.8 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$2.9 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$2.6 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
13%$102 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 3 more
  • Police$87.5 million
  • Fire protection$8.4 million
  • Inspections and regulation$3.7 million
  • Courts and legal services$1.8 million
  • Prisons and jails$338 thousand
Social services
8.4%$65.9 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$65.9 million
Running the government and other costs
7.5%$59.4 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$16.4 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$16.1 million
  • Government buildings$14.8 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$12.1 million
Health and hospitals
5.7%$44.8 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$44.8 million
Interest on debt
2.0%$16.1 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.3%$10.1 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste and electric power
  • Garbage and solid waste$8.9 million
  • Electric power$1.2 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.2%$9.4 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$5.9 million
  • Parks and recreation$3.5 million
Housing and community development
0.9%$7.0 million
Sent to other local governments
0.7%$5.8 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$4.7 million
  • Sent to the state government$1.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
0.2%$1.9 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingPublic transit and parking
  • Public transit$1.8 million
  • Parking$47 thousand
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$63 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$63 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Gaston 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 Gaston 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.