State government

Rhode Island's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Rhode Island took in $12.4 billion and spent $12.3 billion.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

State taxes42%Federal tax money37%Fees for services (college tuition, sewer)10%Fines and other9.8%Local tax money0.9%

State taxes42%

Sales tax
13%$1.63 billion
Individual income tax
13%$1.59 billion
Other taxes
12%$1.44 billion
What's in other taxesAmusement taxes; other selective sales taxes and 16 more
  • Amusement taxes$408 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$231 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$172 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$151 million
  • Tobacco taxes$119 million
  • Public utility taxes$103 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$86.3 million
  • Estate and gift taxes$51.6 million
  • Other licenses$44.0 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$21.2 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$16.5 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$13.0 million
  • Driver's licenses$9.5 million
  • Corporation licenses$7.8 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$2.5 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$1.3 million
  • Public utility licenses$559 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$291 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Business income tax
4.8%$596 million
Property tax
<0.1%$5.4 million

Fees for services10%

Fees for services
10%$1.25 billion
What's in fees for servicesCollege tuition; other service charges and 14 more
  • College tuition$389 million
  • Other service charges$378 million
  • Sewer$111 million
  • University housing and dining$108 million
  • Airport$59.9 million
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$48.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$43.0 million
  • Transit fares$23.6 million
  • Other education charges$23.3 million
  • Housing$22.5 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$21.6 million
  • Road charges$10.5 million
  • Garbage collection$7.9 million
  • Hospital bills$2.6 million
  • School lunches$593 thousand
  • Other school charges$322 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money37%

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

From the federal government
37%$4.56 billion

Local tax money0.9%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.9%$110 million

Fines and other9.8%

Interest, rents and other
9.6%$1.19 billion
Fines
0.1%$17.4 million

Where it goes

Social services37%Sent to local governments15%Schools and colleges13%Running the government and other costs7.5%Roads, transit and parking7.3%All other spending20%

What stands out

15%

of Rhode Island's spending goes to local governments.A typical state government spends 24%.

Spending by category100%

Social services
37%$4.60 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; welfare institutions and 1 more
  • Other public welfare$4.51 billion
  • Welfare institutions$47.5 million
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$40.8 million
Sent to local governments
15%$1.89 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools; sent to local governments: general support and 10 more
  • Sent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools$1.47 billion
  • Sent to local governments: general support$297 million
  • Sent to school districts$77.6 million
  • Sent to the federal government$16.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$10.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$6.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$6.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$1.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$248 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$152 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: police$86 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$32 thousand
Schools and colleges
13%$1.55 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; elementary and secondary schools and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$727 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$346 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$192 million
  • Other education$155 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$129 million
Running the government and other costs
7.5%$923 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); finance, tax collection and budgeting and 4 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$391 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$239 million
  • Other and not broken out$195 million
  • Government buildings$78.8 million
  • Other government administration$16.4 million
  • Other government-run businesses$2.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
7.3%$899 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; public transit and 3 more
  • Roads and highways$639 million
  • Public transit$157 million
  • Airports$76.1 million
  • Toll roads and bridges$27.9 million
  • Ports and harbors$4 thousand
Health and hospitals
6.0%$741 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$615 million
  • Hospitals$126 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
5.7%$703 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$256 million
  • Courts and legal services$200 million
  • Police$146 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$54.9 million
  • Inspections and regulation$46.4 million
Interest on debt
3.9%$485 million
Housing and community development
1.8%$226 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.3%$165 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste and sewer systems
  • Garbage and solid waste$90.0 million
  • Sewer systems$74.9 million
Environment and natural resources
0.9%$116 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$116 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.4%$46.6 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$42.4 million
  • Libraries$4.3 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

State of Rhode Island. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

What this covers. The money of State of Rhode Island 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.

Cities and towns39 cities, towns and townships, A to Z
School districts7 school districts, A to Z