County government · Butler County, PA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Butler County took in $150 million and spent $154 million.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money42%County taxes38%Fees for services (parks and recreation)12%Fines and other4.9%Federal tax money3.0%

What stands out

42%

of Butler County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 22%.

County taxes38%

Property tax
36%$54.2 million
Other taxes
1.8%$2.7 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes
  • Other selective sales taxes$2.7 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services12%

Fees for services
12%$18.5 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and parks and recreation
  • Other service charges$18.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$339 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.0%

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

From the federal government
3.0%$4.5 million

State tax money42%

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

From the state
42%$62.6 million

Fines and other4.9%

Interest, rents and other
4.3%$6.5 million
Fines
0.6%$878 thousand

Where it goes

Social services32%Police, fire, courts and jails32%Running the government and other costs21%Health and hospitals4.1%Housing and community development3.7%All other spending7.1%

What stands out

32%

of Butler 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%

Social services
32%$49.6 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$49.6 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
32%$48.7 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; prisons and jails and 2 more
  • Courts and legal services$20.6 million
  • Prisons and jails$18.2 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$5.9 million
  • Police$4.0 million
Running the government and other costs
21%$32.7 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$14.3 million
  • Other and not broken out$9.4 million
  • Government buildings$4.7 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$4.3 million
Health and hospitals
4.1%$6.4 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$6.4 million
Housing and community development
3.7%$5.7 million
Roads, transit and parking
3.1%$4.8 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$4.7 million
  • Airports$155 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.0%$4.6 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$4.6 million
Interest on debt
0.7%$1.1 million
Environment and natural resources
0.1%$211 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$211 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$90 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$90 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Butler 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 Butler 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.