City government · Forsyth County, NC

Winston-Salem's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Winston-Salem took in $518 million and spent $376 million.

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

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Where it comes from

City taxes48%Fees for services (sewer, water)33%Federal tax money7.1%State tax money6.5%Fines and other4.7%County and local tax money0.2%

What stands out

34%

of Winston-Salem's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 20%.

City taxes48%

Property tax
34%$179 million
Sales tax
14%$70.5 million

Fees for services33%

Fees for services
33%$173 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; water and 5 more
  • Sewer$77.8 million
  • Water$66.9 million
  • Garbage collection$13.4 million
  • Parks and recreation$6.7 million
  • Other government-run businesses$4.5 million
  • Other service charges$2.9 million
  • Parking$897 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money7.1%

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

From the federal government
7.1%$37.0 million

State tax money6.5%

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

From the state
6.5%$33.9 million

County and local tax money0.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.2%$916 thousand

Fines and other4.7%

Interest, rents and other
4.7%$24.5 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails35%Water, sewer, trash and utilities27%Running the government and other costs11%Roads, transit and parking10%Housing and community development6.0%All other spending11%

What stands out

6%

of Winston-Salem's spending goes to housing and community development.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people spends 1.4%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
35%$130 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 1 more
  • Police$83.8 million
  • Fire protection$43.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$2.2 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
27%$100 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste; water supply and 1 more
  • Garbage and solid waste$38.8 million
  • Water supply$32.3 million
  • Sewer systems$28.9 million
Running the government and other costs
11%$43.0 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); government buildings and 1 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$23.4 million
  • Government buildings$14.3 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.3 million
Roads, transit and parking
10%$38.5 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingPublic transit and roads and highways
  • Public transit$22.2 million
  • Roads and highways$16.2 million
Housing and community development
6.0%$22.5 million
Interest on debt
5.8%$21.8 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
5.5%$20.6 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$20.6 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Winston-Salem. 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 City of Winston-Salem 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.