State government

Vermont's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Vermont took in $9.04 billion and spent $9.58 billion.

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

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Where it comes from

State taxes51%Federal tax money33%Fees for services (college tuition, university housing and dining)8.3%Fines and other7.0%

What stands out

14%

of Vermont's money comes from property tax.Most state governments get none.

State taxes51%

Property tax
14%$1.31 billion
Individual income tax
14%$1.24 billion
Other taxes
14%$1.23 billion
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; motor fuel taxes and 15 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$648 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$123 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$100 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$80.9 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$80.0 million
  • Tobacco taxes$70.0 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$37.8 million
  • Estate and gift taxes$23.9 million
  • Driver's licenses$15.3 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$12.0 million
  • Other licenses$11.5 million
  • Public utility taxes$10.2 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$9.8 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$7.6 million
  • Corporation licenses$3.3 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$470 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$20 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
6.6%$597 million
Business income tax
2.8%$255 million

Fees for services8.3%

Fees for services
8.3%$754 million
What's in fees for servicesCollege tuition; university housing and dining and 10 more
  • College tuition$410 million
  • University housing and dining$135 million
  • Liquor stores$112 million
  • Other service charges$64.1 million
  • Parks and recreation$13.9 million
  • Housing$9.2 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$8.2 million
  • Other government-run businesses$1.6 million
  • Airport$378 thousand
  • Road charges$288 thousand
  • Hospital bills$43 thousand
  • Other education charges$26 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money33%

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

From the federal government
33%$3.02 billion

Local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
<0.1%$568 thousand

Fines and other7.0%

Interest, rents and other
6.9%$620 million
Fines
0.1%$10.4 million

Where it goes

Social services28%Sent to local governments27%Schools and colleges15%Roads, transit and parking6.2%Police, fire, courts and jails5.9%All other spending18%

Spending by category100%

Social services
28%$2.70 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; welfare institutions and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$2.66 billion
  • Welfare institutions$31.4 million
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$3.4 million
  • Veterans' services$1.4 million
Sent to local governments
27%$2.56 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: roads and highways and 12 more
  • Sent to school districts$2.34 billion
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$85.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$70.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: general support$33.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$14.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$5.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$4.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: probation, parole and other corrections$3.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$1.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$1.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$907 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$873 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$822 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: sewer systems$517 thousand
Schools and colleges
15%$1.44 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$789 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$202 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$185 million
  • Other education$136 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$128 million
Roads, transit and parking
6.2%$599 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; airports and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$588 million
  • Airports$10.9 million
  • Public transit$1 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
5.9%$564 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsCourts and legal services; prisons and jails and 3 more
  • Courts and legal services$149 million
  • Prisons and jails$138 million
  • Police$114 million
  • Inspections and regulation$100 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$63.9 million
Health and hospitals
5.8%$553 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$509 million
  • Hospitals$44.0 million
Running the government and other costs
5.5%$525 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 4 more
  • Other and not broken out$243 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$129 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$56.1 million
  • Government buildings$47.6 million
  • Other government-run businesses$25.0 million
  • Other government administration$23.9 million
Environment and natural resources
2.1%$204 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$204 million
Housing and community development
2.1%$200 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.0%$97.4 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesLiquor stores; water supply and 2 more
  • Liquor stores$82.7 million
  • Water supply$8.4 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$3.4 million
  • Sewer systems$2.9 million
Interest on debt
1.0%$95.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.5%$48.0 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$43.9 million
  • Libraries$4.2 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

State of Vermont. 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 State of Vermont 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.

Counties14 counties, A to Z
Cities and towns274 cities, towns and townships, A to Z
School districts144 school districts, A to Z