County government · Travis County, TX

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended September 30, 2023), Travis County took in $1.88 billion and spent $1.70 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes64%Fees for services (housing, parks, land and natural resources)17%State tax money5.8%Federal tax money5.5%Fines and other5.2%Local tax money2.1%

What stands out

63%

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

County taxes64%

Property tax
63%$1.19 billion
Other taxes
0.7%$13.6 million
What's in other taxesMotor vehicle licenses; other licenses and 1 more
  • Motor vehicle licenses$10.6 million
  • Other licenses$2.8 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$249 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services17%

Fees for services
17%$328 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; housing and 2 more
  • Other service charges$321 million
  • Housing$5.9 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$1.1 million
  • Parks and recreation$151 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money5.5%

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

From the federal government
5.5%$104 million

State tax money5.8%

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

From the state
5.8%$110 million

Local tax money2.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
2.1%$40.1 million

Fines and other5.2%

Interest, rents and other
5.0%$93.6 million
Fines
0.2%$3.9 million

Where it goes

Health and hospitals39%Police, fire, courts and jails31%Running the government and other costs12%Roads, transit and parking5.3%Social services3.7%All other spending8.3%

What stands out

39%

of Travis County's spending goes to health services and hospitals.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 7.9%.

Spending by category100%

Health and hospitals
39%$669 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$669 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
31%$534 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$189 million
  • Courts and legal services$178 million
  • Police$113 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$53.0 million
  • Inspections and regulation$863 thousand
Running the government and other costs
12%$206 million
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting; other and not broken out and 2 more
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$80.1 million
  • Other and not broken out$59.7 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$37.3 million
  • Government buildings$28.5 million
Roads, transit and parking
5.3%$90.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$90.1 million
Social services
3.7%$63.5 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$63.5 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.1%$53.0 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$53.0 million
Interest on debt
2.5%$42.2 million
Environment and natural resources
2.2%$37.9 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$37.9 million
Housing and community development
0.2%$4.2 million
Sent to other local governments
0.1%$2.2 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$2.2 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$843 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$843 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Travis 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 Travis 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.