ZIP 20408 · Washington, D.C.

One government runs 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 city

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

District of Columbia is served by a consolidated city-county government (Washington Dc City), so there is no separate county section.

District of Columbia

$22.0 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended September 30, 2023.

Where the money comes from

City taxes49%Federal tax money33%Fines and other7.2%Fees for services (sewer, water)6.3%County and local tax money3.0%State tax money1.8%

What stands out

33%

of Washington, D.C.'s money comes from federal tax money.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 3.6%.

Full Washington, D.C. breakdown

City taxes49%

Individual income tax
15%$3.14 billion
Property tax
14%$3.08 billion
Sales tax
9.3%$2.00 billion
Business income tax
5.3%$1.13 billion
Other taxes
5.1%$1.09 billion
What's in other taxesReal estate and stock transfer taxes; insurance premium taxes and 13 more
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$330 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$171 million
  • Public utility taxes$149 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$108 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$72.5 million
  • Other licenses$62.1 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$60.6 million
  • Estate and gift taxes$45.0 million
  • Corporation licenses$39.3 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$21.7 million
  • Tobacco taxes$9.8 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$7.0 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$6.5 million
  • Driver's licenses$5.0 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$4.9 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services6.3%

Fees for services
6.3%$1.35 billion
What's in fees for servicesSewer; water and 11 more
  • Sewer$516 million
  • Water$297 million
  • Other service charges$285 million
  • Hospital bills$99.1 million
  • Housing$40.2 million
  • Parking$35.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$31.0 million
  • College tuition$24.8 million
  • Other school charges$14.4 million
  • Garbage collection$7.4 million
  • Road charges$1.7 million
  • School lunches$627 thousand
  • University housing and dining$363 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%$7.04 billion

State tax money1.8%

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

From the state
1.8%$385 million

County and local tax money3.0%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
3.0%$634 million

Fines and other7.2%

Interest, rents and other
6.1%$1.31 billion
Fines
1.1%$239 million
Washington, D.C. page →

Where the money goes

Social services27%Schools and colleges19%Running the government and other costs14%Police, fire, courts and jails8.8%Housing and community development6.9%All other spending24%

What stands out

27%

of Washington, D.C.'s spending goes to social services.Most U.S. cities of 50,000+ people spend nothing on this.

Full Washington, D.C. breakdown

Spending by category100%

Social services
27%$5.88 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 1 more
  • Other public welfare$5.82 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$58.4 million
  • Welfare institutions$3.8 million
Schools and colleges
19%$4.26 billion
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools; colleges and universities and 2 more
  • Elementary and secondary schools$4.06 billion
  • Colleges and universities$163 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$28.7 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$5.1 million
Running the government and other costs
14%$3.16 billion
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$2.34 billion
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$303 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$271 million
  • Government buildings$246 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
8.8%$1.94 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Police$753 million
  • Courts and legal services$346 million
  • Prisons and jails$302 million
  • Fire protection$288 million
  • Inspections and regulation$250 million
Housing and community development
6.9%$1.52 billion
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
5.8%$1.28 billion
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more
  • Sewer systems$620 million
  • Water supply$503 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$152 million
Sent to other local governments
4.4%$958 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$958 million
Health and hospitals
3.8%$827 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$578 million
  • Hospitals$249 million
Interest on debt
3.6%$800 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$736 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$64.6 million
Roads, transit and parking
3.5%$772 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; parking and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$733 million
  • Parking$37.4 million
  • Public transit$1.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
2.1%$466 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$377 million
  • Libraries$89.1 million
Environment and natural resources
0.5%$118 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$118 million
Washington, D.C. page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

District of Columbia. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

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.