County government · Lancaster County, PA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Lancaster County took in $308 million and spent $287 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes46%State tax money23%Federal tax money18%Fees for services (parks and recreation)8.8%Fines and other2.6%Local tax money2.1%

What stands out

18%

of Lancaster County's money comes from federal tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 4.5%.

County taxes46%

Property tax
42%$128 million
Other taxes
4.1%$12.7 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes
  • Other selective sales taxes$12.7 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services8.8%

Fees for services
8.8%$27.1 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and parks and recreation
  • Other service charges$26.5 million
  • Parks and recreation$512 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money18%

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

From the federal government
18%$56.3 million

State tax money23%

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

From the state
23%$69.6 million

Local tax money2.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
2.1%$6.4 million

Fines and other2.6%

Interest, rents and other
1.8%$5.4 million
Fines
0.9%$2.7 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails39%Social services18%Health and hospitals17%Running the government and other costs13%Housing and community development5.2%All other spending7.7%

What stands out

18%

of Lancaster County's spending goes to social services.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 4.3%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
39%$112 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Prisons and jails$39.1 million
  • Courts and legal services$38.1 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$18.5 million
  • Police$16.2 million
Social services
18%$51.0 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$51.0 million
Health and hospitals
17%$50.0 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$50.0 million
Running the government and other costs
13%$37.2 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$16.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$11.8 million
  • Other and not broken out$4.9 million
  • Government buildings$4.0 million
Housing and community development
5.2%$15.0 million
Environment and natural resources
2.8%$8.0 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$8.0 million
Interest on debt
2.1%$6.0 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.7%$4.8 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$3.1 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.7 million
Roads, transit and parking
1.1%$3.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and public transit
  • Roads and highways$2.6 million
  • Public transit$463 thousand
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$192 thousand
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out and sent to the state government
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$112 thousand
  • Sent to the state government$80 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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.