State government

North Dakota's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), North Dakota took in $11.7 billion and spent $9.67 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

State taxes50%Federal tax money24%Fines and other17%Fees for services (college tuition, university housing and dining)8.7%Local tax money0.5%

What stands out

34%

of North Dakota's money comes from taxes other than property, sales and income taxes.A typical state government gets 10%.

State taxes50%

Other taxes
34%$3.91 billion
What's in other taxesSeverance taxes; other selective sales taxes and 13 more
  • Severance taxes$3.10 billion
  • Other selective sales taxes$201 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$189 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$122 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$101 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$75.3 million
  • Public utility taxes$35.6 million
  • Amusement taxes$26.4 million
  • Tobacco taxes$21.7 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$19.1 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$10.7 million
  • Driver's licenses$5.1 million
  • Amusement licenses$4.0 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$413 thousand
  • Public utility licenses$4 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
11%$1.32 billion
Individual income tax
3.1%$356 million
Business income tax
2.2%$256 million
Property tax
<0.1%$5.8 million

Fees for services8.7%

Fees for services
8.7%$1.01 billion
What's in fees for servicesOther government-run businesses; college tuition and 9 more
  • Other government-run businesses$419 million
  • College tuition$367 million
  • University housing and dining$114 million
  • Other service charges$57.7 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$30.9 million
  • Parks and recreation$7.1 million
  • Other education charges$6.5 million
  • Housing$4.6 million
  • Road charges$1.5 million
  • Hospital bills$1.4 million
  • Airport$1 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money24%

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

From the federal government
24%$2.78 billion

Local tax money0.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.5%$59.1 million

Fines and other17%

Interest, rents and other
17%$1.93 billion
Fines
0.2%$23.8 million

Where it goes

Sent to local governments28%Social services22%Schools and colleges15%Running the government and other costs11%Roads, transit and parking10%All other spending14%

What stands out

11%

of North Dakota's spending goes to running the government and other costs.A typical state government spends 6%.

Spending by category100%

Sent to local governments
28%$2.71 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: general support and 14 more
  • Sent to school districts$1.54 billion
  • Sent to local governments: general support$727 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$196 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$108 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$96.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$16.1 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$11.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$5.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$3.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$2.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$1.1 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$1.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$991 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$274 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$27 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: police$20 thousand
Social services
22%$2.11 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$2.08 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$14.3 million
  • Welfare institutions$13.2 million
  • Veterans' services$1.4 million
Schools and colleges
15%$1.49 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; college housing, dining and bookstores and 2 more
  • Colleges and universities$1.18 billion
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$119 million
  • Other education$100 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$88.5 million
Running the government and other costs
11%$1.02 billion
What's in running the government and other costsOther government-run businesses; other and not broken out and 4 more
  • Other government-run businesses$414 million
  • Other and not broken out$343 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$202 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$25.0 million
  • Other government administration$22.1 million
  • Government buildings$11.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
10%$982 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$979 million
  • Airports$2.7 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
3.8%$366 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$152 million
  • Courts and legal services$120 million
  • Police$47.3 million
  • Inspections and regulation$45.1 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$1.3 million
Environment and natural resources
3.2%$314 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$314 million
Interest on debt
3.2%$308 million
Health and hospitals
2.7%$258 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$207 million
  • Hospitals$51.2 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.6%$61.3 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply and garbage and solid waste
  • Water supply$56.8 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$4.5 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.4%$40.2 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$36.9 million
  • Libraries$3.3 million
Housing and community development
0.2%$16.7 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

State of North Dakota. 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 State of North Dakota 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.

Counties53 counties, A to Z
Cities and towns1659 cities, towns and townships, A to Z
School districts200 school districts, A to Z