County government · Richland County, SC

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Richland County took in $520 million and spent $325 million.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes75%Fees for services (garbage collection, sewer)18%Fines and other5.6%State tax money1.4%

What stands out

21%

of Richland County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 2.7%.

County taxes75%

Property tax
49%$256 million
Sales tax
21%$109 million
Other taxes
5.2%$26.8 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; occupation and business licenses and 2 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$11.0 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$9.8 million
  • Other licenses$6.0 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$74 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services18%

Fees for services
18%$91.5 million
What's in fees for servicesGarbage collection; other service charges and 7 more
  • Garbage collection$35.5 million
  • Other service charges$30.4 million
  • Sewer$15.4 million
  • Road charges$6.9 million
  • Parks and recreation$2.0 million
  • Water$457 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$395 thousand
  • Airport$342 thousand
  • Parking$117 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

State tax money1.4%

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

From the state
1.4%$7.2 million

Fines and other5.6%

Interest, rents and other
3.9%$20.4 million
Fines
1.7%$8.6 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails46%Running the government and other costs21%Parks, recreation and libraries15%Water, sewer, trash and utilities10%Interest on debt3.3%All other spending3.4%

What stands out

15%

of Richland County's spending goes to parks, recreation and libraries.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 2.6%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
46%$151 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 3 more
  • Police$51.9 million
  • Fire protection$45.2 million
  • Prisons and jails$31.7 million
  • Courts and legal services$20.4 million
  • Inspections and regulation$1.5 million
Running the government and other costs
21%$68.6 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)$30.5 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$29.1 million
  • Government buildings$5.6 million
  • Other and not broken out$3.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
15%$50.1 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$31.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$18.8 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
10%$33.8 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$33.8 million
Interest on debt
3.3%$10.9 million
Roads, transit and parking
1.8%$5.9 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$5.9 million
Social services
1.2%$4.0 million
What's in social servicesWelfare institutions and other public welfare
  • Welfare institutions$3.9 million
  • Other public welfare$59 thousand
Health and hospitals
0.3%$1.1 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$1.1 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$159 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$159 thousand
Housing and community development
<0.1%$96 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

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