ZIP 02119 · Boston, MA

Two governments run on your community's money

From the state down to your schools: where each one's money comes from and goes.

Yearly budgets from each government's latest fiscal year on record. Tap one to jump to it.

Your state

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

$86.4 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

State taxes52%Federal tax money30%Fines and other9.2%Fees for services (college tuition, airport)8.4%Local tax money0.8%
Full Massachusetts breakdown

What stands out

27%

of Massachusetts' money comes from a personal income tax.A typical state government gets 14%.

State taxes52%

Individual income tax
27%$22.1 billion
Sales tax
11%$9.40 billion
Business income tax
7.6%$6.29 billion
Other taxes
6.2%$5.12 billion
What's in other taxesMotor fuel taxes; insurance premium taxes and 15 more
  • Motor fuel taxes$713 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$692 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$614 million
  • Estate and gift taxes$574 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$470 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$465 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$346 million
  • Tobacco taxes$340 million
  • Amusement taxes$323 million
  • Other licenses$314 million
  • Driver's licenses$113 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$98.4 million
  • Corporation licenses$28.6 million
  • Amusement licenses$14.8 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$7.7 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$4.4 million
  • Public utility taxes$4.2 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Property tax
<0.1%$15.4 million

Fees for services8.4%

Fees for services
8.4%$6.95 billion
What's in fees for servicesCollege tuition; airport and 17 more
  • College tuition$2.07 billion
  • Airport$1.13 billion
  • Other service charges$784 million
  • University housing and dining$637 million
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$620 million
  • Sewer$540 million
  • Transit fares$417 million
  • Water$313 million
  • Ports and waterways$148 million
  • Road charges$92.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$75.7 million
  • Hospital bills$48.7 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$32.0 million
  • Electric power$28.4 million
  • Housing$10.1 million
  • Other education charges$3.6 million
  • School lunches$1.5 million
  • Other school charges$356 thousand
  • School tuition and transportation$43 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money30%

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

From the federal government
30%$24.4 billion

Local tax money0.8%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.8%$673 million

Fines and other9.2%

Interest, rents and other
8.8%$7.27 billion
Fines
0.4%$290 million
Massachusetts page →

Where the money goes

Social services40%Sent to local governments17%Schools and colleges12%Roads, transit and parking8.3%Running the government and other costs7.2%All other spending16%

What stands out

40%

of Massachusetts' spending goes to social services.A typical state government spends 31%.

Full Massachusetts breakdown

Spending by category100%

Social services
40%$34.6 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$34.2 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$286 million
  • Welfare institutions$80.5 million
  • Veterans' services$33.9 million
Sent to local governments
17%$15.0 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools; sent to local governments: general support and 22 more
  • Sent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools$8.38 billion
  • Sent to local governments: general support$2.19 billion
  • Sent to school districts$1.48 billion
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$941 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$772 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$392 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$159 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$146 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$118 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$103 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$97.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$61.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$47.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$19.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$19.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: hospitals$13.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: ports and harbors$7.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$5.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: sewer systems$5.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$4.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$4.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: colleges and universities$4.1 million
  • Sent to local governments: finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.2 million
  • Sent to the federal government$2.7 million
Schools and colleges
12%$9.99 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; other education and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$5.80 billion
  • Other education$1.88 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$1.02 billion
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$649 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$636 million
Roads, transit and parking
8.3%$7.18 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingPublic transit; roads and highways and 3 more
  • Public transit$3.39 billion
  • Roads and highways$2.17 billion
  • Airports$939 million
  • Toll roads and bridges$550 million
  • Ports and harbors$125 million
Running the government and other costs
7.2%$6.22 billion
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 3 more
  • Other and not broken out$4.18 billion
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.29 billion
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$284 million
  • Government buildings$274 million
  • Other government administration$198 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
4.8%$4.13 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$1.63 billion
  • Courts and legal services$1.38 billion
  • Police$747 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$219 million
  • Inspections and regulation$152 million
Health and hospitals
3.6%$3.13 billion
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$2.09 billion
  • Hospitals$1.04 billion
Interest on debt
2.8%$2.45 billion
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt; interest on public transit debt and 2 more
  • Interest on general debt$2.19 billion
  • Interest on public transit debt$209 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$50.2 million
  • Interest on electric power debt$142 thousand
Housing and community development
2.4%$2.08 billion
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.8%$708 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 2 more
  • Sewer systems$442 million
  • Water supply$243 million
  • Electric power$22.0 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$1.0 million
Environment and natural resources
0.7%$601 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$601 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.3%$300 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$272 million
  • Libraries$28.2 million
Massachusetts page →

Your city

Public schools here are run by City of Boston, so school money is part of its budget.

Massachusetts counties have been abolished or have limited roles, so no county government is shown.

City of Boston

$6.59 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

City taxes58%State tax money23%Fees for services (sewer, water)9.1%Fines and other7.4%County and local tax money2.1%Federal tax money0.4%
Full Boston breakdown

What stands out

52%

of Boston's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 20%.

City taxes58%

Property tax
52%$3.22 billion
Other taxes
5.8%$360 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 4 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$241 million
  • Other licenses$108 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$4.7 million
  • Public utility licenses$3.9 million
  • Amusement licenses$1.9 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$549 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services9.1%

Fees for services
9.1%$564 million
What's in fees for servicesSewer; water and 5 more
  • Sewer$270 million
  • Water$191 million
  • Hospital bills$37.8 million
  • Other service charges$36.0 million
  • Housing$18.9 million
  • Parking$7.5 million
  • School lunches$2.8 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.4%

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

From the federal government
0.4%$25.9 million

State tax money23%

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

From the state
23%$1.44 billion

County and local tax money2.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
2.1%$132 million

Fines and other7.4%

Interest, rents and other
6.4%$398 million
Fines
0.9%$57.8 million
Boston page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges34%Running the government and other costs22%Police, fire, courts and jails14%Health and hospitals6.6%Water, sewer, trash and utilities5.7%All other spending18%

What stands out

34%

of Boston's spending goes to schools and colleges.Most U.S. cities of 50,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Full Boston breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
34%$2.25 billion
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$2.25 billion
Running the government and other costs
22%$1.46 billion
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 3 more
  • Other and not broken out$1.28 billion
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$85.2 million
  • Government buildings$64.9 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$30.7 million
  • Other government-run businesses$2.9 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
14%$905 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 2 more
  • Police$551 million
  • Fire protection$321 million
  • Inspections and regulation$23.4 million
  • Courts and legal services$10.3 million
Health and hospitals
6.6%$434 million
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$388 million
  • Public health$46.0 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
5.7%$375 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste; sewer systems and 1 more
  • Garbage and solid waste$160 million
  • Sewer systems$111 million
  • Water supply$105 million
Sent to other local governments
5.4%$356 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government and sent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to the state government$345 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$10.9 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
4.6%$302 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$216 million
  • Libraries$85.8 million
Housing and community development
3.2%$213 million
Roads, transit and parking
2.9%$189 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and parking
  • Roads and highways$179 million
  • Parking$9.3 million
Interest on debt
1.3%$83.1 million
Social services
0.2%$15.5 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$15.5 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$3.8 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$3.8 million
Boston page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

Commonwealth of Massachusetts. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

City of Boston. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

How a ZIP is matched. A ZIP code is not a government boundary, so we match it to the cities, counties and school districts that overlap it, using Census Bureau geography. Where a ZIP crosses several, each one is shown with its share of the ZIP. Each government's money covers its own operations only; the others listed here are separate.

Latest recorded year. The year differs by government: each block shows the newest fiscal year on file. A Census survey year covers fiscal years ending July 1 of the year before through June 30 of that year.