County government · Polk County, NC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2022), Polk County took in $63.0 million and spent $66.9 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2022Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes45%State tax money41%Fees for services (garbage collection, hospital bills)6.5%Federal tax money3.9%Fines and other3.0%Local tax money0.1%

What stands out

9.4%

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

County taxes45%

Property tax
33%$20.9 million
Sales tax
9.4%$6.0 million
Other taxes
2.5%$1.6 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other taxes not classified elsewhere and 3 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$464 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$464 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$311 thousand
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$295 thousand
  • Other licenses$59 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services6.5%

Fees for services
6.5%$4.1 million
What's in fees for servicesGarbage collection; hospital bills and 6 more
  • Garbage collection$1.9 million
  • Hospital bills$974 thousand
  • Other service charges$495 thousand
  • Other government-run businesses$399 thousand
  • School lunches$169 thousand
  • Transit fares$67 thousand
  • Water$32 thousand
  • Other school charges$5 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.9%

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

From the federal government
3.9%$2.5 million

State tax money41%

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

From the state
41%$26.0 million

Local tax money0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.1%$70 thousand

Fines and other3.0%

Interest, rents and other
2.6%$1.6 million
Fines
0.4%$258 thousand

Where it goes

Schools and colleges57%Police, fire, courts and jails19%Running the government and other costs8.5%Social services5.2%Water, sewer, trash and utilities2.9%All other spending7.4%

What stands out

57%

of Polk 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
57%$38.4 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$38.4 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
19%$12.5 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 3 more
  • Police$7.4 million
  • Fire protection$2.8 million
  • Prisons and jails$2.0 million
  • Inspections and regulation$310 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$70 thousand
Running the government and other costs
8.5%$5.7 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$1.7 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.4 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$1.4 million
  • Government buildings$1.2 million
Social services
5.2%$3.5 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$3.5 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
2.9%$1.9 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste; water supply and 1 more
  • Garbage and solid waste$1.9 million
  • Water supply$48 thousand
  • Sewer systems$10 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
2.7%$1.8 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$943 thousand
  • Libraries$879 thousand
Health and hospitals
1.6%$1.1 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$1.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
0.8%$555 thousand
What's in roads, transit and parkingPublic transit
  • Public transit$555 thousand
Interest on debt
0.8%$548 thousand
Housing and community development
0.6%$383 thousand
Environment and natural resources
0.5%$317 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$317 thousand
Sent to other local governments
0.3%$203 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$203 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Polk County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Finance, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2022. The Census record for this government is from the 2022 survey, the newest on file.

What this covers. The money of Polk 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.