ZIP 29909 · Beaufort County, SC

Three 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

State of South Carolina

$49.2 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

State taxes38%Federal tax money32%Fees for services (hospital bills, college tuition)23%Fines and other7.0%Local tax money0.6%

What stands out

23%

of South Carolina's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.A typical state government gets 10%.

Full South Carolina breakdown

State taxes38%

Sales tax
14%$6.44 billion
Individual income tax
13%$6.15 billion
Other taxes
8.4%$4.00 billion
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; motor fuel taxes and 15 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.25 billion
  • Motor fuel taxes$1.03 billion
  • Insurance premium taxes$361 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$322 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$223 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$189 million
  • Corporation licenses$188 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$143 million
  • Tobacco taxes$111 million
  • Amusement taxes$60.0 million
  • Public utility taxes$28.6 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$25.7 million
  • Driver's licenses$20.7 million
  • Other licenses$15.8 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$15.3 million
  • Public utility licenses$14.4 million
  • Amusement licenses$6.0 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Business income tax
2.8%$1.35 billion
Property tax
0.2%$92.8 million

Fees for services23%

Fees for services
23%$10.9 billion
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; college tuition and 13 more
  • Hospital bills$4.79 billion
  • College tuition$2.17 billion
  • Electric power$1.88 billion
  • Other service charges$773 million
  • University housing and dining$680 million
  • Ports and waterways$404 million
  • Road charges$72.1 million
  • Parks and recreation$65.5 million
  • Housing$41.7 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$35.0 million
  • Other education charges$28.8 million
  • Water$8.8 million
  • Airport$457 thousand
  • Other government-run businesses$367 thousand
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$3 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money32%

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

From the federal government
32%$15.0 billion

Local tax money0.6%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.6%$279 million

Fines and other7.0%

Interest, rents and other
6.8%$3.21 billion
Fines
0.2%$107 million
South Carolina page →

Where the money goes

Social services26%Sent to local governments22%Schools and colleges17%Health and hospitals13%Roads, transit and parking6.8%All other spending16%

What stands out

13%

of South Carolina's spending goes to health services and hospitals.A typical state government spends 5.7%.

Full South Carolina breakdown

Spending by category100%

Social services
26%$13.0 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 1 more
  • Other public welfare$12.8 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$80.5 million
  • Veterans' services$30.1 million
Sent to local governments
22%$10.7 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: general support and 15 more
  • Sent to school districts$8.60 billion
  • Sent to local governments: general support$907 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$801 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$150 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$83.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$51.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: sewer systems$50.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$17.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$17.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$16.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$5.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$5.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$3.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$3.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$2.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$732 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: other education$504 thousand
Schools and colleges
17%$8.34 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 2 more
  • Colleges and universities$4.89 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$1.49 billion
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$1.15 billion
  • Other education$812 million
Health and hospitals
13%$6.16 billion
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$4.95 billion
  • Public health$1.21 billion
Roads, transit and parking
6.8%$3.33 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; ports and harbors and 2 more
  • Roads and highways$2.68 billion
  • Ports and harbors$633 million
  • Airports$11.9 million
  • Toll roads and bridges$28 thousand
Running the government and other costs
5.0%$2.48 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$1.71 billion
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$480 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$269 million
  • Other government administration$24.1 million
  • Other government-run businesses$102 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
3.6%$1.76 billion
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesElectric power and water supply
  • Electric power$1.76 billion
  • Water supply$7.3 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
3.2%$1.55 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$767 million
  • Police$347 million
  • Courts and legal services$207 million
  • Inspections and regulation$144 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$86.5 million
Interest on debt
1.2%$605 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on electric power debt and interest on general debt
  • Interest on electric power debt$325 million
  • Interest on general debt$280 million
Environment and natural resources
1.1%$553 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$553 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.9%$446 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$425 million
  • Libraries$21.5 million
Housing and community development
0.5%$256 million
South Carolina page →

Your county

This ZIP is outside any city or town, so Beaufort County provides local services like police and parks.

Beaufort County

$473 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

About 98% of this ZIP is in Beaufort County.

Where the money comes from

Fees for services (hospital bills, garbage collection)51%County taxes36%Fines and other5.8%State tax money5.3%Federal tax money2.5%

What stands out

51%

of Beaufort 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%.

Full Beaufort County breakdown

County taxes36%

Property tax
22%$151 million
Sales tax
10%$69.0 million
Other taxes
3.3%$22.1 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses and other selective sales taxes
  • Other licenses$18.7 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$3.3 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services51%

Fees for services
51%$343 million
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; other service charges and 4 more
  • Hospital bills$300 million
  • Other service charges$19.2 million
  • Garbage collection$9.9 million
  • Sewer$6.6 million
  • Airport$6.1 million
  • Parks and recreation$1.4 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.5%

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

From the federal government
2.5%$16.8 million

State tax money5.3%

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

From the state
5.3%$36.0 million

Fines and other5.8%

Interest, rents and other
5.6%$37.8 million
Fines
0.2%$1.5 million
Beaufort County page →

Where the money goes

Health and hospitals64%Running the government and other costs16%Police, fire, courts and jails10%Parks, recreation and libraries3.5%Water, sewer, trash and utilities2.8%All other spending3.4%

What stands out

64%

of Beaufort County's spending goes to health services and hospitals.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people spends 5.7%.

Full Beaufort County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Health and hospitals
64%$303 million
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$288 million
  • Public health$14.8 million
Running the government and other costs
16%$75.4 million
What's in running the government and other costsCentral staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology); other and not broken out and 1 more
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$32.2 million
  • Other and not broken out$23.1 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$20.0 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
10%$49.2 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; courts and legal services and 2 more
  • Police$31.4 million
  • Courts and legal services$9.1 million
  • Prisons and jails$6.9 million
  • Inspections and regulation$1.8 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
3.5%$16.4 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$11.4 million
  • Libraries$5.0 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
2.8%$13.2 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste and sewer systems
  • Garbage and solid waste$10.2 million
  • Sewer systems$3.0 million
Roads, transit and parking
2.4%$11.2 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; airports and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$6.0 million
  • Airports$5.2 million
  • Parking$19 thousand
Social services
0.6%$2.8 million
What's in social servicesWelfare institutions and other public welfare
  • Welfare institutions$2.1 million
  • Other public welfare$680 thousand
Interest on debt
0.4%$1.9 million
Beaufort County page →

Your schools

Beaufort County School District 1

$494 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

About 98% of this ZIP is in Beaufort County School District 1.

Where the money comes from

School district taxes62%State tax money34%Fines and other3.3%Fees for services (school lunches)0.6%County and local tax money<0.1%
Full Beaufort County School District 1 breakdown

What stands out

62%

of Beaufort County School District 1's money comes from property tax.A typical school district with 5,000 to 25,000 students gets 29%.

School district taxes62%

Property tax
62%$306 million

Fees for services0.6%

Fees for services
0.6%$3.1 million
What's in fees for servicesOther school charges and school lunches
  • Other school charges$1.7 million
  • School lunches$1.4 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money<0.1%

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

From the federal government
<0.1%$78 thousand

State tax money34%

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

From the state
34%$167 million

County and local tax money<0.1%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
<0.1%$258 thousand

Fines and other3.3%

Interest, rents and other
3.3%$16.4 million
Beaufort County School District 1 page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges96%Interest on debt3.5%Sent to other local governments<0.1%
Full Beaufort County School District 1 breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
96%$477 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$477 million
Interest on debt
3.5%$17.1 million
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$273 thousand
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to the state government and sent to school districts
  • Sent to the state government$250 thousand
  • Sent to school districts$23 thousand
Beaufort County School District 1 page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

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

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

Beaufort County School District 1. 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.