County government · Ward County, ND

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Ward County took in $63.0 million and spent $52.5 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes fromGoes to

See every government that serves your ZIP

Where it comes from

County taxes42%State tax money34%Fees for services (road charges, parks and recreation)11%Federal tax money6.2%Fines and other3.5%Local tax money2.8%

What stands out

13%

of Ward County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 4.2%.

County taxes42%

Property tax
29%$18.3 million
Sales tax
13%$8.1 million
Other taxes
0.4%$280 thousand
What's in other taxesOther licenses; alcoholic beverage licenses and 1 more
  • Other licenses$261 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$17 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$2 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services11%

Fees for services
11%$7.2 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; road charges and 2 more
  • Other service charges$7.0 million
  • Road charges$171 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$12 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$2 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money6.2%

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

From the federal government
6.2%$3.9 million

State tax money34%

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

From the state
34%$21.2 million

Local tax money2.8%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
2.8%$1.8 million

Fines and other3.5%

Interest, rents and other
3.5%$2.2 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails28%Running the government and other costs21%Roads, transit and parking19%Health and hospitals15%Social services13%All other spending5.1%

What stands out

13%

of Ward County's spending goes to social services.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 1.5%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
28%$14.5 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 2 more
  • Prisons and jails$6.8 million
  • Police$5.1 million
  • Courts and legal services$2.3 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$268 thousand
Running the government and other costs
21%$10.8 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; government buildings and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$6.0 million
  • Government buildings$1.9 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.5 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$1.4 million
Roads, transit and parking
19%$9.9 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$9.9 million
Health and hospitals
15%$8.0 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$8.0 million
Social services
13%$6.6 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$6.6 million
Environment and natural resources
2.4%$1.3 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.6%$837 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$582 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$255 thousand
Interest on debt
1.1%$557 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Ward County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

What this covers. The money of Ward 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.