County government · Columbia County, WI

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

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended December 31, 2023), Columbia County took in $84.3 million and spent $71.7 million.

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

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Where it comes from

County taxes42%State tax money27%Fees for services (garbage collection, road charges)18%Fines and other7.0%Local tax money4.1%Federal tax money2.4%

What stands out

18%

of Columbia County's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 11%.

County taxes42%

Property tax
33%$27.8 million
Sales tax
7.9%$6.6 million
Other taxes
0.8%$695 thousand
What's in other taxesOther licenses; real estate and stock transfer taxes and 1 more
  • Other licenses$455 thousand
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$222 thousand
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$18 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services18%

Fees for services
18%$14.8 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; garbage collection and 3 more
  • Other service charges$10.3 million
  • Garbage collection$3.9 million
  • Road charges$324 thousand
  • Housing$228 thousand
  • Parks, land and natural resources$87 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.4%

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

From the federal government
2.4%$2.0 million

State tax money27%

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

From the state
27%$22.9 million

Local tax money4.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
4.1%$3.5 million

Fines and other7.0%

Interest, rents and other
6.4%$5.4 million
Fines
0.6%$541 thousand

Where it goes

Running the government and other costs29%Social services25%Police, fire, courts and jails22%Health and hospitals11%Water, sewer, trash and utilities8.4%All other spending4.8%

What stands out

25%

of Columbia County's spending goes to social services.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 1.5%.

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
29%$20.8 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$14.3 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$3.0 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.8 million
  • Government buildings$1.7 million
Social services
25%$18.0 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare and welfare institutions
  • Other public welfare$9.7 million
  • Welfare institutions$8.3 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
22%$15.9 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 1 more
  • Police$7.3 million
  • Prisons and jails$5.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$2.8 million
Health and hospitals
11%$7.7 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$7.7 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
8.4%$6.0 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$6.0 million
Interest on debt
1.9%$1.4 million
Housing and community development
1.5%$1.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.2%$877 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesLibraries and parks and recreation
  • Libraries$752 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$125 thousand
Schools and colleges
0.1%$93 thousand
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$93 thousand
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

Columbia 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 Columbia 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.