County government · Mecklenburg County, NC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Mecklenburg County took in $4.28 billion and spent $4.45 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes46%State tax money34%Fees for services (liquor stores, garbage collection)10%Federal tax money4.4%Fines and other4.1%Local tax money1.3%

What stands out

11%

of Mecklenburg County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 2.7%.

County taxes46%

Property tax
33%$1.41 billion
Sales tax
11%$484 million
Other taxes
1.7%$71.0 million
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; alcoholic beverage taxes and 4 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$31.3 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$22.1 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$9.0 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$5.6 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$2.9 million
  • Other licenses$90 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services10%

Fees for services
10%$434 million
What's in fees for servicesLiquor stores; other service charges and 10 more
  • Liquor stores$211 million
  • Other service charges$66.0 million
  • Garbage collection$40.8 million
  • College tuition$27.0 million
  • Sewer$23.7 million
  • Parks and recreation$15.7 million
  • School tuition and transportation$13.7 million
  • Other government-run businesses$13.1 million
  • School lunches$11.9 million
  • University housing and dining$9.2 million
  • Other school charges$1.7 million
  • Parking$505 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money4.4%

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

From the federal government
4.4%$188 million

State tax money34%

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

From the state
34%$1.46 billion

Local tax money1.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.3%$55.0 million

Fines and other4.1%

Interest, rents and other
4.0%$172 million
Fines
<0.1%$3.5 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges59%Social services7.7%Running the government and other costs7.2%Water, sewer, trash and utilities5.7%Health and hospitals5.0%All other spending16%

What stands out

59%

of Mecklenburg 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
59%$2.61 billion
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools; colleges and universities and 2 more
  • Elementary and secondary schools$2.40 billion
  • Colleges and universities$179 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$24.0 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$7.0 million
Social services
7.7%$340 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$340 million
Running the government and other costs
7.2%$320 million
What's in running the government and other costsGovernment buildings; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Government buildings$135 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$75.4 million
  • Other and not broken out$68.2 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$41.8 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
5.7%$252 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesLiquor stores; garbage and solid waste and 1 more
  • Liquor stores$176 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$52.4 million
  • Sewer systems$22.7 million
Health and hospitals
5.0%$224 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$224 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.4%$196 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$119 million
  • Libraries$77.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
4.3%$191 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 2 more
  • Police$128 million
  • Prisons and jails$26.5 million
  • Courts and legal services$20.4 million
  • Fire protection$16.0 million
Interest on debt
2.5%$111 million
Roads, transit and parking
1.9%$84.8 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingPublic transit
  • Public transit$84.8 million
Housing and community development
1.5%$68.9 million
Sent to other local governments
1.2%$53.9 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government and sent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to the state government$30.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$23.6 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$2.0 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$2.0 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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.