County government · Jefferson County, TX

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Jefferson County took in $254 million and spent $235 million.

Latest recorded year: ended September 30, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes76%Fees for services (parks and recreation, airport)7.7%Federal tax money7.3%Fines and other3.8%State tax money3.7%Local tax money1.7%

What stands out

21%

of Jefferson County's money comes from taxes other than property, sales and income taxes.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people gets 2.5%.

County taxes76%

Property tax
40%$101 million
Other taxes
21%$53.5 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; motor vehicle licenses and 3 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$50.4 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$2.9 million
  • Other licenses$122 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$78 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$17 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
15%$38.2 million

Fees for services7.7%

Fees for services
7.7%$19.6 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; parks and recreation and 1 more
  • Other service charges$10.4 million
  • Parks and recreation$5.0 million
  • Airport$4.2 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money7.3%

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

From the federal government
7.3%$18.6 million

State tax money3.7%

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

From the state
3.7%$9.4 million

Local tax money1.7%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.7%$4.3 million

Fines and other3.8%

Interest, rents and other
3.1%$7.9 million
Fines
0.7%$1.7 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails41%Running the government and other costs19%Sent to other local governments17%Roads, transit and parking9.0%Parks, recreation and libraries6.6%All other spending7.5%

What stands out

17%

of Jefferson County's spending goes to local governments.Most U.S. counties of 250,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
41%$97.0 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 2 more
  • Prisons and jails$41.1 million
  • Police$24.5 million
  • Courts and legal services$22.9 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$8.4 million
Running the government and other costs
19%$44.0 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)$25.4 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$10.2 million
  • Government buildings$4.5 million
  • Other and not broken out$3.9 million
Sent to other local governments
17%$39.9 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government
  • Sent to the state government$39.9 million
Roads, transit and parking
9.0%$21.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$13.3 million
  • Airports$7.9 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
6.6%$15.4 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$15.4 million
  • Libraries$36 thousand
Health and hospitals
4.8%$11.2 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$11.2 million
Social services
1.9%$4.4 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$4.4 million
Environment and natural resources
0.5%$1.1 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.1 million
Interest on debt
0.4%$969 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

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

What this covers. The money of Jefferson 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.