City government · Delaware County, PA

Chester's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Chester took in $74.3 million and spent $68.7 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes from Goes to

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Where it comes from

Fines and other39%City taxes37%State tax money13%Fees for services (garbage collection, housing)9.3%Federal tax money1.3%County and local tax money0.7%

What stands out

38%

of Chester's money comes from interest, rents and other revenue.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people gets 4.9%.

City taxes37%

Individual income tax

16%$12.0 million

Property tax

16%$11.6 million

Other taxes

5.5%$4.1 million

What's in other taxesOccupation and business licenses and public utility licenses

Occupation and business licenses$3.5 million
Public utility licenses$610 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services9.3%

Fees for services

9.3%$6.9 million

What's in fees for servicesGarbage collection; housing and 1 more

Garbage collection$6.9 million
Housing$28 thousand
Other service charges$19 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money1.3%

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

From the federal government

1.3%$930 thousand

State tax money13%

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

From the state

13%$9.5 million

County and local tax money0.7%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments

0.7%$488 thousand

Fines and other39%

Interest, rents and other

38%$28.2 million

Fines

0.8%$577 thousand

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails53%Running the government and other costs31%Parks, recreation and libraries5.1%Roads, transit and parking5.0%Water, sewer, trash and utilities2.7%All other spending3.3%

What stands out

53%

of Chester's spending goes to police, fire, courts and jails.A typical U.S. city of 10,000 to 50,000 people spends 24%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails

53%$36.1 million

What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more

Police$21.5 million
Fire protection$13.1 million
Courts and legal services$857 thousand
Inspections and regulation$636 thousand

Running the government and other costs

31%$21.5 million

What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more

Other and not broken out$13.2 million
Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$4.2 million
Government buildings$2.7 million
Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.4 million

Parks, recreation and libraries

5.1%$3.5 million

What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation

Parks and recreation$3.5 million

Roads, transit and parking

5.0%$3.5 million

What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways

Roads and highways$3.5 million

Water, sewer, trash and utilities

2.7%$1.8 million

What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste

Garbage and solid waste$1.8 million

Housing and community development

2.1%$1.4 million

Health and hospitals

1.1%$762 thousand

What's in health and hospitalsPublic health

Public health$762 thousand

Interest on debt

0.1%$93 thousand

Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

City of Chester. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself.

What this covers. The money of City of Chester 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.