County government · Bell County, TX

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Bell County took in $216 million and spent $224 million.

Latest recorded year: ended September 30, 2023Estimated by the U.S. Census BureauComes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes65%Fines and other10%Fees for services (parks and recreation)9.6%Federal tax money7.2%State tax money5.8%Local tax money1.8%

What stands out

16%

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

County taxes65%

Property tax
47%$101 million
Sales tax
16%$34.1 million
Other taxes
2.9%$6.2 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses and other selective sales taxes
  • Other licenses$4.7 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.5 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services9.6%

Fees for services
9.6%$20.8 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and parks and recreation
  • Other service charges$15.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$5.8 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money7.2%

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

From the federal government
7.2%$15.5 million

State tax money5.8%

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

From the state
5.8%$12.6 million

Local tax money1.8%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.8%$3.9 million

Fines and other10%

Interest, rents and other
7.8%$16.9 million
Fines
2.6%$5.5 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails56%Running the government and other costs20%Parks, recreation and libraries6.5%Housing and community development5.4%Roads, transit and parking5.4%All other spending6.9%

What stands out

56%

of Bell County's spending goes to police, fire, courts and jails.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 24%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
56%$126 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$80.1 million
  • Courts and legal services$25.8 million
  • Police$11.2 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$8.4 million
  • Fire protection$145 thousand
Running the government and other costs
20%$44.0 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; government buildings and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$22.6 million
  • Government buildings$9.4 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$6.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.9 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
6.5%$14.6 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$14.6 million
Housing and community development
5.4%$12.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
5.4%$12.0 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$12.0 million
Interest on debt
2.3%$5.2 million
Social services
1.9%$4.3 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$4.3 million
Health and hospitals
1.2%$2.7 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$2.7 million
Sent to other local governments
1.1%$2.5 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$2.5 million
Environment and natural resources
0.3%$720 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$720 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$17 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$17 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Bell County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. 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 Bell 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.