Commonwealth of Kentucky
$47.8 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.
Where the money comes from
What stands out
44%
of Kentucky's money comes from federal tax money.A typical state government gets 35%.
Full Kentucky breakdown
State taxes35%
Sales tax
12%$5.80 billion
Individual income tax
10%$5.02 billion
Other taxes
7.2%$3.49 billion
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; motor fuel taxes and 15 more
- Other selective sales taxes$1.00 billion
- Motor fuel taxes$906 million
- Tobacco taxes$313 million
- Motor vehicle licenses$221 million
- Insurance premium taxes$221 million
- Alcoholic beverage taxes$195 million
- Occupation and business licenses$149 million
- Corporation licenses$122 million
- Severance taxes$115 million
- Public utility taxes$80.7 million
- Estate and gift taxes$75.6 million
- Driver's licenses$32.7 million
- Hunting and fishing licenses$30.3 million
- Real estate and stock transfer taxes$9.1 million
- Alcoholic beverage licenses$8.1 million
- Other licenses$6.3 million
- Amusement licenses$332 thousand
Amounts are by Census tax category.
Business income tax
4.2%$2.04 billion
Property tax
1.7%$808 million
Fees for services14%
Fees for services
14%$6.98 billion
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; college tuition and 12 more
- Hospital bills$4.82 billion
- College tuition$1.30 billion
- University housing and dining$451 million
- Other service charges$145 million
- Parks and recreation$79.1 million
- Road charges$77.0 million
- Parks, land and natural resources$76.3 million
- Housing$19.0 million
- Tolls on roads and bridges$12.0 million
- Other education charges$1.6 million
- Garbage collection$1.1 million
- Airport$843 thousand
- Other school charges$342 thousand
- Water$1 thousand
Amounts are by Census type of charge.
Federal tax money44%
Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.
From the federal government
44%$21.5 billion
Local tax money0.1%
Money passed on by the county or other local governments.
From local governments
0.1%$57.4 million
Fines and other5.7%
Interest, rents and other
5.6%$2.71 billion
Fines
<0.1%$47.2 million
Where the money goes
What stands out
44%
of Kentucky's spending goes to social services.A typical state government spends 31%.
Full Kentucky breakdown
Spending by category100%
Social services
44%$20.8 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 1 more
- Other public welfare$20.5 billion
- Unemployment and social insurance offices$158 million
- Veterans' services$95.3 million
Schools and colleges
16%$7.46 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 3 more
- Colleges and universities$4.54 billion
- Scholarships and other education subsidies$1.25 billion
- Elementary and secondary schools$865 million
- College housing, dining and bookstores$632 million
- Other education$179 million
Sent to local governments
14%$6.77 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: other and not broken out and 17 more
- Sent to school districts$5.22 billion
- Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$519 million
- Sent to local governments: roads and highways$286 million
- Sent to local governments: public health$154 million
- Sent to local governments: other public welfare$149 million
- Sent to local governments: other education$112 million
- Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$58.3 million
- Sent to local governments: central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$55.1 million
- Sent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools$48.7 million
- Sent to local governments: police$39.6 million
- Sent to local governments: housing and community development$39.1 million
- Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$32.9 million
- Sent to local governments: airports$13.6 million
- Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$11.4 million
- Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$10.9 million
- Sent to local governments: hospitals$9.6 million
- Sent to local governments: libraries$7.0 million
- Sent to local governments: finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.5 million
- Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$684 thousand
Health and hospitals
11%$5.08 billion
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
- Hospitals$4.46 billion
- Public health$620 million
Roads, transit and parking
5.2%$2.51 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; toll roads and bridges and 2 more
- Roads and highways$2.48 billion
- Toll roads and bridges$15.6 million
- Airports$12.6 million
- Public transit$2.5 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
4.8%$2.32 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
- Prisons and jails$816 million
- Courts and legal services$799 million
- Police$381 million
- Inspections and regulation$240 million
- Probation, parole and other corrections$83.0 million
Running the government and other costs
3.5%$1.66 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$676 million
- Finance, tax collection and budgeting$630 million
- Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$193 million
- Other government administration$106 million
- Government buildings$52.7 million
Environment and natural resources
1.1%$505 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
- Natural resources, farming and conservation$505 million
Housing and community development
0.6%$282 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.4%$182 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
- Parks and recreation$175 million
- Libraries$7.9 million
Interest on debt
0.3%$141 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.2%$104 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply and garbage and solid waste
- Water supply$62.9 million
- Garbage and solid waste$40.8 million