ZIP 37217 · Nashville-Davidson County, TN

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

State of Tennessee

$49.5 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

State taxes49%Federal tax money41%Fees for services (college tuition, university housing and dining)5.8%Fines and other4.8%Local tax money0.2%
Full Tennessee breakdown

What stands out

28%

of Tennessee's money comes from sales tax.A typical state government gets 14%.

State taxes49%

Sales tax
28%$14.1 billion
Other taxes
14%$6.94 billion
What's in other taxesCorporation licenses; insurance premium taxes and 17 more
  • Corporation licenses$1.50 billion
  • Insurance premium taxes$1.46 billion
  • Motor fuel taxes$1.27 billion
  • Other selective sales taxes$723 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$541 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$405 million
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$356 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$327 million
  • Tobacco taxes$196 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$51.5 million
  • Driver's licenses$46.8 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$35.6 million
  • Public utility taxes$10.3 million
  • Other licenses$9.6 million
  • Public utility licenses$6.5 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$1.8 million
  • Severance taxes$529 thousand
  • Amusement licenses$432 thousand
  • Estate and gift taxes$7 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Business income tax
6.2%$3.05 billion
Individual income tax
<0.1%$2.1 million

Fees for services5.8%

Fees for services
5.8%$2.86 billion
What's in fees for servicesCollege tuition; other service charges and 10 more
  • College tuition$1.38 billion
  • Other service charges$719 million
  • University housing and dining$505 million
  • Other education charges$136 million
  • Parks and recreation$67.0 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$28.8 million
  • Hospital bills$19.2 million
  • Garbage collection$2.1 million
  • Sewer$530 thousand
  • Road charges$118 thousand
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$45 thousand
  • Housing$9 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money41%

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

From the federal government
41%$20.1 billion

Local tax money0.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.2%$117 million

Fines and other4.8%

Interest, rents and other
4.7%$2.32 billion
Fines
<0.1%$38.4 million
Tennessee page →

Where the money goes

Social services33%Sent to local governments28%Schools and colleges14%Health and hospitals5.4%Roads, transit and parking5.0%All other spending14%

What stands out

28%

of Tennessee's spending goes to local governments.A typical state government spends 24%.

Full Tennessee breakdown

Spending by category100%

Social services
33%$16.5 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 1 more
  • Other public welfare$16.4 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$89.2 million
  • Veterans' services$12.2 million
Sent to local governments
28%$13.8 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools; sent to local governments: general support and 21 more
  • Sent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools$8.60 billion
  • Sent to local governments: general support$2.46 billion
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$904 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$331 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$327 million
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$270 million
  • Sent to school districts$266 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$145 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$131 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$94.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$80.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$51.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: hospitals$44.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$31.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$23.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$17.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$3.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$2.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$956 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: probation, parole and other corrections$856 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$225 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$20 thousand
Schools and colleges
14%$7.17 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$4.88 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$1.15 billion
  • Other education$547 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$499 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$90.3 million
Health and hospitals
5.4%$2.69 billion
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$2.02 billion
  • Hospitals$675 million
Roads, transit and parking
5.0%$2.47 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$2.41 billion
  • Airports$60.6 million
Running the government and other costs
5.0%$2.46 billion
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting; other and not broken out and 3 more
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$1.06 billion
  • Other and not broken out$918 million
  • Government buildings$323 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$128 million
  • Other government administration$28.8 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
4.6%$2.26 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$866 million
  • Courts and legal services$550 million
  • Police$496 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$177 million
  • Inspections and regulation$174 million
Environment and natural resources
1.5%$738 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$738 million
Interest on debt
1.4%$698 million
Housing and community development
0.9%$471 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.4%$220 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$207 million
  • Libraries$13.0 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$47.8 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste; sewer systems and 1 more
  • Garbage and solid waste$45.2 million
  • Sewer systems$1.4 million
  • Water supply$1.1 million
Tennessee page →

Your town

Davidson County is served by a consolidated city-county government (Nashville-Davidson County Metropolitan Government), so there is no separate county section.

Nashville-Davidson County Metropolitan Government

$6.46 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

Fees for services (electric power, sewer)38%City-county taxes37%State tax money12%Fines and other8.3%Federal tax money4.6%County and local tax money0.2%

What stands out

12%

of Nashville-Davidson County's money comes from state tax money.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 6.4%.

Full Nashville-Davidson County breakdown

City-county taxes37%

Property tax
19%$1.09 billion
Sales tax
13%$722 million
Other taxes
5.4%$303 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; alcoholic beverage taxes and 4 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$158 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$54.1 million
  • Other licenses$42.8 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$28.7 million
  • Public utility taxes$18.1 million
  • Amusement taxes$1.3 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services38%

Fees for services
38%$2.12 billion
What's in fees for servicesElectric power; sewer and 11 more
  • Electric power$1.45 billion
  • Sewer$240 million
  • Water$136 million
  • Hospital bills$80.4 million
  • Housing$52.5 million
  • Other government-run businesses$44.2 million
  • Other service charges$40.0 million
  • Other school charges$19.2 million
  • Parks and recreation$18.4 million
  • Transit fares$14.0 million
  • Parking$12.4 million
  • Garbage collection$8.9 million
  • School lunches$2.4 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money4.6%

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

From the federal government
4.6%$257 million

State tax money12%

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

From the state
12%$672 million

County and local tax money0.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.2%$10.9 million

Fines and other8.3%

Interest, rents and other
7.2%$409 million
Fines
1.1%$62.2 million
Nashville-Davidson County page →

Where the money goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities32%Schools and colleges24%Police, fire, courts and jails12%Running the government and other costs11%Health and hospitals5.0%All other spending16%

What stands out

24%

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

Full Nashville-Davidson County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
32%$2.05 billion
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesElectric power; water supply and 2 more
  • Electric power$1.45 billion
  • Water supply$287 million
  • Sewer systems$260 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$49.7 million
Schools and colleges
24%$1.58 billion
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$1.58 billion
Police, fire, courts and jails
12%$799 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 3 more
  • Police$344 million
  • Fire protection$214 million
  • Courts and legal services$117 million
  • Prisons and jails$106 million
  • Inspections and regulation$18.1 million
Running the government and other costs
11%$682 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 3 more
  • Other and not broken out$366 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$262 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$40.5 million
  • Government buildings$9.3 million
  • Other government-run businesses$3.2 million
Health and hospitals
5.0%$323 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$166 million
  • Hospitals$157 million
Roads, transit and parking
4.8%$309 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; public transit and 1 more
  • Roads and highways$174 million
  • Public transit$126 million
  • Parking$8.8 million
Interest on debt
3.4%$222 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on electric power debt
  • Interest on general debt$179 million
  • Interest on electric power debt$42.8 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
2.7%$175 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$111 million
  • Libraries$63.1 million
Housing and community development
2.6%$171 million
Social services
1.3%$84.6 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$84.6 million
Sent to other local governments
1.1%$69.0 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$69.0 million
Environment and natural resources
<0.1%$327 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$327 thousand
Nashville-Davidson County page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

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

Nashville-Davidson County Metropolitan Government. 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.