County government · Wake County, NC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Wake County took in $3.97 billion and spent $5.12 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes46%State tax money39%Fees for services (liquor stores, garbage collection)8.9%Fines and other3.0%Local tax money2.2%Federal tax money1.5%

What stands out

39%

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

County taxes46%

Property tax
36%$1.41 billion
Sales tax
6.9%$273 million
Other taxes
3.3%$132 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; alcoholic beverage taxes and 4 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$102 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$14.5 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$7.4 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$4.8 million
  • Other licenses$3.2 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$338 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services8.9%

Fees for services
8.9%$352 million
What's in fees for servicesLiquor stores; other service charges and 10 more
  • Liquor stores$172 million
  • Other service charges$66.3 million
  • Garbage collection$35.2 million
  • College tuition$33.1 million
  • School lunches$20.7 million
  • School tuition and transportation$14.8 million
  • Other government-run businesses$6.8 million
  • University housing and dining$1.5 million
  • Parking$1.1 million
  • Transit fares$271 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$78 thousand
  • Sewer$7 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money1.5%

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

From the federal government
1.5%$60.9 million

State tax money39%

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

From the state
39%$1.53 billion

Local tax money2.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
2.2%$88.8 million

Fines and other3.0%

Interest, rents and other
2.8%$113 million
Fines
0.2%$7.1 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges52%Sent to other local governments22%Running the government and other costs4.3%Police, fire, courts and jails4.0%Interest on debt3.7%All other spending14%

What stands out

52%

of Wake 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
52%$2.64 billion
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools; colleges and universities and 2 more
  • Elementary and secondary schools$2.36 billion
  • Colleges and universities$268 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$7.4 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$192 thousand
Sent to other local governments
22%$1.15 billion
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$1.14 billion
  • Sent to the state government$7.1 million
Running the government and other costs
4.3%$219 million
What's in running the government and other costsGovernment buildings; other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Government buildings$94.1 million
  • Other and not broken out$57.0 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$47.3 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$20.4 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
4.0%$203 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 3 more
  • Police$105 million
  • Prisons and jails$49.7 million
  • Fire protection$34.6 million
  • Inspections and regulation$8.5 million
  • Courts and legal services$5.3 million
Interest on debt
3.7%$189 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
3.6%$183 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesLiquor stores; garbage and solid waste and 1 more
  • Liquor stores$145 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$38.0 million
  • Sewer systems$60 thousand
Health and hospitals
3.6%$183 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$183 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
2.8%$141 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$109 million
  • Libraries$32.3 million
Social services
2.6%$135 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$135 million
Housing and community development
1.0%$52.1 million
Environment and natural resources
0.3%$17.2 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$17.2 million
Roads, transit and parking
0.2%$10.5 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingPublic transit and parking
  • Public transit$10.2 million
  • Parking$287 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Wake 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 Wake 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.