County government · Galveston County, TX

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Galveston County took in $291 million and spent $295 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 taxes59%State tax money23%Fines and other9.5%Fees for services (parks and recreation, road charges)4.4%Federal tax money3.4%

What stands out

58%

of Galveston County's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 29%.

County taxes59%

Property tax
58%$169 million
Other taxes
1.2%$3.5 million
What's in other taxesMotor vehicle licenses and other licenses
  • Motor vehicle licenses$3.2 million
  • Other licenses$273 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services4.4%

Fees for services
4.4%$12.8 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; parks and recreation and 2 more
  • Other service charges$11.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.0 million
  • Road charges$596 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$152 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money3.4%

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

From the federal government
3.4%$10.0 million

State tax money23%

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

From the state
23%$68.1 million

Fines and other9.5%

Interest, rents and other
8.0%$23.3 million
Fines
1.5%$4.4 million

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs38%Police, fire, courts and jails36%Roads, transit and parking10%Interest on debt4.8%Health and hospitals4.0%All other spending6.9%

What stands out

38%

of Galveston County's spending goes to running the government and other costs.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 17%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
38%$112 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$87.6 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$9.9 million
  • Government buildings$8.2 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$6.5 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
36%$106 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 2 more
  • Prisons and jails$35.8 million
  • Police$32.7 million
  • Courts and legal services$31.7 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$6.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
10%$29.9 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$29.9 million
Interest on debt
4.8%$14.1 million
Health and hospitals
4.0%$11.9 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$11.9 million
Social services
2.9%$8.6 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$8.6 million
Environment and natural resources
1.5%$4.4 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$4.4 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.4%$4.2 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$4.2 million
Housing and community development
1.1%$3.1 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Galveston 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 Galveston 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.