County government · Hamilton County, TN

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Hamilton County took in $926 million and spent $1.11 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money44%County taxes33%Fees for services (school lunches)17%Fines and other4.7%Federal tax money0.7%Local tax money0.3%

What stands out

44%

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

County taxes33%

Property tax
29%$271 million
Sales tax
2.5%$23.1 million
Other taxes
1.6%$14.6 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 1 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$11.5 million
  • Other licenses$2.0 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$1.1 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services17%

Fees for services
17%$159 million
What's in fees for servicesOther school charges; other service charges and 1 more
  • Other school charges$103 million
  • Other service charges$51.2 million
  • School lunches$4.1 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.7%

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

From the federal government
0.7%$6.2 million

State tax money44%

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

From the state
44%$406 million

Local tax money0.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.3%$2.9 million

Fines and other4.7%

Interest, rents and other
4.6%$42.2 million
Fines
0.2%$1.5 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges73%Police, fire, courts and jails9.4%Running the government and other costs8.3%Health and hospitals4.0%Roads, transit and parking2.0%All other spending3.3%

What stands out

73%

of Hamilton County's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
73%$812 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$812 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
9.4%$105 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Police$36.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$36.0 million
  • Prisons and jails$30.8 million
  • Inspections and regulation$1.2 million
Running the government and other costs
8.3%$91.8 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$54.6 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$19.8 million
  • Government buildings$10.7 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$6.7 million
Health and hospitals
4.0%$44.4 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$44.4 million
Roads, transit and parking
2.0%$22.2 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$22.2 million
Interest on debt
1.3%$14.4 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.9%$10.6 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$10.6 million
Social services
0.6%$7.0 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$7.0 million
Housing and community development
0.2%$1.9 million
Sent to other local governments
0.1%$1.3 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$1.3 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$1.0 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$1.0 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$432 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$432 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Hamilton County. 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 Hamilton 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.