County government · Spokane County, WA

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Spokane County took in $546 million and spent $476 million.

Latest recorded year: ended December 31, 2023Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

County taxes42%Fees for services (sewer, garbage collection)19%State tax money18%Local tax money9.8%Fines and other8.3%Federal tax money2.2%

What stands out

20%

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

County taxes42%

Sales tax
20%$112 million
Property tax
18%$96.1 million
Other taxes
4.4%$24.1 million
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; public utility taxes and 5 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$7.1 million
  • Public utility taxes$6.5 million
  • Other licenses$4.9 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$4.2 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.4 million
  • Severance taxes$105 thousand
  • Occupation and business licenses$3 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services19%

Fees for services
19%$106 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; other service charges and 4 more
  • Sewer$39.9 million
  • Other service charges$36.3 million
  • Garbage collection$17.3 million
  • Parks and recreation$9.0 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$1.7 million
  • Road charges$1.5 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.2%

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

From the federal government
2.2%$12.3 million

State tax money18%

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

From the state
18%$97.3 million

Local tax money9.8%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
9.8%$53.2 million

Fines and other8.3%

Interest, rents and other
7.5%$40.8 million
Fines
0.8%$4.6 million

Where it goes

Police, fire, courts and jails39%Running the government and other costs14%Roads, transit and parking12%Water, sewer, trash and utilities11%Health and hospitals11%All other spending12%

What stands out

11%

of Spokane County's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. county of 250,000+ people spends 2.6%.

Spending by category100%

Police, fire, courts and jails
39%$186 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 3 more
  • Police$84.7 million
  • Prisons and jails$58.4 million
  • Courts and legal services$34.7 million
  • Inspections and regulation$5.0 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$3.6 million
Running the government and other costs
14%$68.5 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$30.0 million
  • Other and not broken out$24.4 million
  • Government buildings$7.6 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$6.5 million
Roads, transit and parking
12%$56.9 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$56.9 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
11%$53.4 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$28.4 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$25.0 million
Health and hospitals
11%$52.2 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$52.2 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.3%$20.3 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$20.1 million
  • Libraries$220 thousand
Environment and natural resources
3.3%$15.5 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$15.5 million
Social services
1.8%$8.7 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$8.7 million
Interest on debt
1.6%$7.8 million
Housing and community development
1.1%$5.2 million
Sent to other local governments
0.1%$619 thousand
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$619 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Spokane County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

What this covers. The money of Spokane 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.