County government · Luzerne County, PA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Luzerne County took in $331 million and spent $290 million.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money46%County taxes42%Fines and other4.8%Fees for services (airport)3.9%Federal tax money3.4%Local tax money<0.1%

What stands out

46%

of Luzerne County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 19%.

County taxes42%

Property tax
39%$131 million
Other taxes
2.6%$8.6 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses and other selective sales taxes
  • Other licenses$4.4 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$4.2 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services3.9%

Fees for services
3.9%$12.9 million
What's in fees for servicesAirport and other service charges
  • Airport$7.0 million
  • Other service charges$5.9 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.4%

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

From the federal government
3.4%$11.3 million

State tax money46%

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

From the state
46%$152 million

Local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
<0.1%$326 thousand

Fines and other4.8%

Interest, rents and other
4.5%$14.8 million
Fines
0.4%$1.2 million

Where it goes

Social services31%Police, fire, courts and jails27%Housing and community development20%Roads, transit and parking8.9%Running the government and other costs6.5%All other spending6.7%

What stands out

20%

of Luzerne County's spending goes to housing and community development.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Social services
31%$89.9 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$89.9 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
27%$78.0 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Prisons and jails$37.0 million
  • Courts and legal services$34.2 million
  • Police$5.8 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$1.0 million
Housing and community development
20%$58.3 million
Roads, transit and parking
8.9%$26.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingAirports and roads and highways
  • Airports$14.0 million
  • Roads and highways$12.0 million
Running the government and other costs
6.5%$18.8 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 1 more
  • Other and not broken out$7.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$7.4 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$3.8 million
Sent to other local governments
2.8%$8.2 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$8.2 million
Interest on debt
2.3%$6.6 million
Health and hospitals
1.6%$4.7 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$4.7 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Luzerne 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 Luzerne 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.