County government · Shelby County, TN

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Shelby County took in $2.78 billion and spent $3.33 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

State tax money42%County taxes25%Fees for services (hospital bills, parks, land and natural resources)23%Fines and other5.0%Federal tax money2.3%Local tax money2.2%

What stands out

42%

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

County taxes25%

Property tax
19%$531 million
Other taxes
3.1%$84.8 million
What's in other taxesMotor vehicle licenses; other selective sales taxes and 2 more
  • Motor vehicle licenses$46.3 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$23.6 million
  • Other licenses$14.8 million
  • Public utility taxes$6 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
2.7%$75.7 million

Fees for services23%

Fees for services
23%$647 million
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; other service charges and 7 more
  • Hospital bills$588 million
  • Other service charges$36.3 million
  • Other school charges$15.0 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$5.6 million
  • Garbage collection$753 thousand
  • Road charges$659 thousand
  • Sewer$568 thousand
  • School lunches$35 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$8 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.3%

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

From the federal government
2.3%$62.6 million

State tax money42%

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

From the state
42%$1.17 billion

Local tax money2.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
2.2%$61.7 million

Fines and other5.0%

Fines
2.7%$74.8 million
Interest, rents and other
2.3%$65.0 million

Where it goes

Schools and colleges52%Health and hospitals25%Police, fire, courts and jails12%Running the government and other costs6.9%Interest on debt1.4%All other spending2.5%

What stands out

52%

of Shelby 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
52%$1.71 billion
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$1.71 billion
Health and hospitals
25%$840 million
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$775 million
  • Public health$65.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
12%$413 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 4 more
  • Police$206 million
  • Courts and legal services$94.1 million
  • Prisons and jails$63.0 million
  • Fire protection$35.6 million
  • Inspections and regulation$14.3 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$408 thousand
Running the government and other costs
6.9%$228 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$132 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$65.7 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$27.1 million
  • Other government-run businesses$3.0 million
Interest on debt
1.4%$48.0 million
Roads, transit and parking
0.9%$30.6 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$30.6 million
Housing and community development
0.6%$20.1 million
Social services
0.4%$13.9 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$13.9 million
Sent to other local governments
0.3%$9.1 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$9.1 million
Environment and natural resources
0.2%$7.3 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$7.3 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$1.1 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste and sewer systems
  • Garbage and solid waste$653 thousand
  • Sewer systems$493 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
<0.1%$939 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$939 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Shelby 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 Shelby 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.