ZIP 35544 · Lamar County, AL

Three governments run on your community's money

This page shows every government that serves ZIP 35544: the state, county, city or town and school district, and where each one's money comes from and goes.

Each government is shown for its own newest fiscal year on file, so the years differ. Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, the government's own report or, for Alabama governments, the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, as named under Sources and more.

Where do my taxes go in 35544?
35544 is served by the State of Alabama, Lamar County and Lamar County School District. In each one's latest recorded fiscal year, State of Alabama spent $44.6 billion (fiscal year ended September 30, 2023), Lamar County spent $7.6 million (fiscal year ended September 30, 2021) and Lamar County School District spent $32.7 million (fiscal year ended September 30, 2025). Each government's money is separate.

Which governments collect property tax in 35544?
Of the governments serving 35544, State of Alabama collected $621 million (fiscal year ended September 30, 2023) and Lamar County collected $2.4 million (fiscal year ended September 30, 2021) in property tax. These are each government's total collections, not a bill for 35544.

See another ZIP code

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

See the full budget for: Lamar County and Lamar County School District

Why not this year? Alabama governments with newer filings show school system figures from the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts (for 2025). Each other figure is the newest year the U.S. Census Bureau has published for that government, so the years differ and are not the current year. Most governments post their current budget on their own website.

Where property tax goes in 35544

State of Alabama$621 million

1.4% of its $45.4 billion in revenue · fiscal year ended September 30, 2023

Lamar County$2.4 million

29% of its $8.2 million in revenue · fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 · estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau

These are each government's total property tax collections, not your bill. Your own bill is split by each government's tax rate, shown on your property tax bill.

Your county

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

Lamar County

$7.6 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended September 30, 2021. Estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau

Where the money comes from

State tax money48%County taxes35%Fees for services9.2%Fines and other7.6%

What stands out

48%

of Lamar County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 23%.

Full Lamar County breakdown

County taxes35%

Property tax
29%$2.4 million
Other taxes
6.3%$519 thousand
What's in other taxesMotor fuel taxes and other licenses
  • Motor fuel taxes$511 thousand
  • Other licenses$8 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services9.2%

Fees for services
9.2%$754 thousand
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges
  • Other service charges$754 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

State tax money48%

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

From the state
48%$3.9 million

Fines and other7.6%

Interest, rents and other
7.6%$629 thousand
Lamar County page →

Where the money goes

Roads, transit and parking29%Running the government and other costs29%Police, fire, courts and jails26%Water, sewer, trash and utilities12%Social services2.3%All other spending1.2%

What stands out

12%

of Lamar County's spending goes to water, sewer, trash and other utilities.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people spends 0.8%.

Full Lamar County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Roads, transit and parking
29%$2.2 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$2.2 million
Running the government and other costs
29%$2.2 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$989 thousand
  • Other and not broken out$611 thousand
  • Government buildings$382 thousand
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$226 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
26%$2.0 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice and courts and legal services
  • Police$1.7 million
  • Courts and legal services$252 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
12%$907 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$907 thousand
Social services
2.3%$177 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$177 thousand
Interest on debt
1.0%$79 thousand
Health and hospitals
<0.1%$7 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$7 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
<0.1%$4 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$4 thousand
Lamar County page →

Your schools

Lamar County School District

$32.7 million budget in fiscal year 2025 (ended September 30, 2025), from the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.

Where the money comes from

State tax money69%School district taxes20%Federal tax money11%
Full Lamar County School District breakdown

School district taxes20%

Local taxes and other local revenue
20%$6.8 million

Federal tax money11%

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

From the federal government
11%$3.8 million

State tax money69%

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

From the state
69%$23.1 million
Lamar County School District page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges98%Debt payments (principal and interest)2.2%
Full Lamar County School District breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
98%$32.0 million
Debt payments (principal and interest)
2.2%$713 thousand
Lamar County School District page →

Your state

State of Alabama

$44.6 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended September 30, 2023.

Where the money comes from

Federal tax money37%State taxes37%Fees for services (hospital bills, college tuition)19%Fines and other6.2%Local tax money0.5%

What stands out

19%

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

Full Alabama breakdown

State taxes37%

Individual income tax
12%$5.28 billion
Sales tax
10%$4.59 billion
Other taxes
9.2%$4.18 billion
What's in other taxesMotor fuel taxes; public utility taxes and 14 more
  • Motor fuel taxes$972 million
  • Public utility taxes$773 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$705 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$613 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$284 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$230 million
  • Corporation licenses$219 million
  • Tobacco taxes$132 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$71.1 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$54.7 million
  • Driver's licenses$47.9 million
  • Severance taxes$38.3 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$25.4 million
  • Public utility licenses$14.7 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$4.6 million
  • Other licenses$1 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Business income tax
4.8%$2.18 billion
Property tax
1.4%$621 million

Fees for services19%

Fees for services
19%$8.53 billion
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; college tuition and 11 more
  • Hospital bills$4.46 billion
  • College tuition$2.37 billion
  • University housing and dining$680 million
  • Liquor stores$530 million
  • Ports and waterways$197 million
  • Other service charges$141 million
  • Parks and recreation$59.2 million
  • Housing$46.4 million
  • Other education charges$29.7 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$10.9 million
  • Garbage collection$9.0 million
  • Road charges$1.1 million
  • Parking$580 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money37%

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

From the federal government
37%$16.9 billion

Local tax money0.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.5%$224 million

Fines and other6.2%

Interest, rents and other
5.9%$2.66 billion
Fines
0.3%$148 million
Alabama page →

Where the money goes

Sent to local governments29%Schools and colleges22%Social services22%Health and hospitals12%Roads, transit and parking4.9%All other spending10%

What stands out

12%

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

Full Alabama breakdown

Spending by category100%

Sent to local governments
29%$12.7 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: hospitals and 17 more
  • Sent to school districts$8.98 billion
  • Sent to local governments: hospitals$1.00 billion
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$847 million
  • Sent to local governments: general support$476 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$310 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$210 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$206 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$190 million
  • Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$173 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$131 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$50.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$44.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$37.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$28.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$12.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$10.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$8.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$3.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: probation, parole and other corrections$2.7 million
Schools and colleges
22%$10.0 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 2 more
  • Colleges and universities$7.33 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$1.13 billion
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$964 million
  • Other education$577 million
Social services
22%$9.87 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$9.66 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$118 million
  • Welfare institutions$81.3 million
  • Veterans' services$12.8 million
Health and hospitals
12%$5.21 billion
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$4.64 billion
  • Public health$570 million
Roads, transit and parking
4.9%$2.18 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; ports and harbors and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$1.97 billion
  • Ports and harbors$207 million
  • Airports$813 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
3.7%$1.65 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$808 million
  • Courts and legal services$361 million
  • Police$240 million
  • Inspections and regulation$142 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$104 million
Running the government and other costs
3.5%$1.56 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$723 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$599 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$144 million
  • Other government administration$87.8 million
  • Government buildings$7.7 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
1.5%$657 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesLiquor stores and water supply
  • Liquor stores$657 million
  • Water supply$95 thousand
Interest on debt
0.7%$327 million
Environment and natural resources
0.6%$266 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$266 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.2%$89.2 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$79.9 million
  • Libraries$9.3 million
Housing and community development
0.1%$47.3 million
Alabama page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

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

Lamar County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Finance, individual unit file, fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. Most of this government's figures were estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau from a sample; the government did not report them itself. The Census record for this government is from the 2022 survey, the newest on file.

Lamar County School District. Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, audited Board of Education financial statements, fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, fiscal year ended September 30, 2025. The earlier Census figures are from U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

How these figures are counted. Alabama school system figures are from each system's audited financial statements, as published by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, for the fiscal year ended September 30 (2025 for most systems). They cover governmental funds. The audit reports local taxes and other local revenue as one amount, so it is shown here as one line. Transfers between funds and borrowing are not counted, and spending includes construction. Spending is grouped as education and debt payments.

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.