ZIP 42261 · Butler County, KY

Three governments run on your community's money

This page shows every government that serves ZIP 42261: 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 Kentucky governments, the Kentucky Department of Education, as named under Sources and more.

Where do my taxes go in 42261?
42261 is served by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Butler County and Butler County School District. In each one's latest recorded fiscal year, Commonwealth of Kentucky spent $47.8 billion (fiscal year ended June 30, 2024), Butler County spent $6.1 million (fiscal year ended June 30, 2022) and Butler County School District spent $29.0 million (fiscal year ended June 30, 2025). Each government's money is separate.

Which governments collect property tax in 42261?
Of the governments serving 42261, Commonwealth of Kentucky collected $808 million (fiscal year ended June 30, 2024) and Butler County collected $521 thousand (fiscal year ended June 30, 2022) in property tax. These are each government's total collections, not a bill for 42261.

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: Butler County and Butler County School District

Why not this year? Kentucky governments with newer filings show school district figures from the Kentucky Department of Education (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 42261

Commonwealth of Kentucky$808 million

1.7% of its $48.4 billion in revenue · fiscal year ended June 30, 2024

Butler County$521 thousand

6.7% of its $7.7 million in revenue · fiscal year ended June 30, 2022

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 Butler County provides local services like police and parks.

Butler County

$6.1 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2022.

Where the money comes from

State tax money39%County taxes31%Federal tax money20%Fines and other5.5%Fees for services (garbage collection)5.0%Local tax money0.4%
Full Butler County breakdown

What stands out

22%

of Butler County's money comes from a personal income tax.Most U.S. counties of under 50,000 people get none.

County taxes31%

Individual income tax
22%$1.7 million
Property tax
6.7%$521 thousand
Other taxes
2.2%$174 thousand
What's in other taxesPublic utility taxes; real estate and stock transfer taxes and 2 more
  • Public utility taxes$69 thousand
  • Real estate and stock transfer taxes$50 thousand
  • Corporation licenses$47 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$8 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services5.0%

Fees for services
5.0%$386 thousand
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and garbage collection
  • Other service charges$368 thousand
  • Garbage collection$18 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money20%

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

From the federal government
20%$1.5 million

State tax money39%

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

From the state
39%$3.0 million

Local tax money0.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
0.4%$30 thousand

Fines and other5.5%

Interest, rents and other
5.5%$427 thousand
Fines
<0.1%$1 thousand
Butler County page →

Where the money goes

Running the government and other costs39%Roads, transit and parking30%Police, fire, courts and jails25%Water, sewer, trash and utilities2.1%Health and hospitals1.9%All other spending1.6%

What stands out

30%

of Butler County's spending goes to roads, transit and parking.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people spends 16%.

Full Butler County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
39%$2.4 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$1.7 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$405 thousand
  • Government buildings$154 thousand
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$113 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
30%$1.8 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and public transit
  • Roads and highways$1.6 million
  • Public transit$216 thousand
Police, fire, courts and jails
25%$1.5 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 2 more
  • Prisons and jails$837 thousand
  • Police$603 thousand
  • Fire protection$61 thousand
  • Courts and legal services$26 thousand
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
2.1%$131 thousand
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste
  • Garbage and solid waste$131 thousand
Health and hospitals
1.9%$115 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$115 thousand
Environment and natural resources
0.6%$38 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$38 thousand
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.5%$30 thousand
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$30 thousand
Social services
0.4%$27 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$27 thousand
Interest on debt
<0.1%$3 thousand
Butler County page →

Your schools

Butler County School District

$29.0 million budget in fiscal year 2025 (ended June 30, 2025), from the Kentucky Department of Education.

Where the money comes from

State tax money61%Federal tax money18%School district taxes14%Fines and other6.7%
Full Butler County School District breakdown

School district taxes14%

Local taxes
14%$4.1 million

Federal tax money18%

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

From the federal government
18%$5.0 million

State tax money61%

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

From the state
61%$17.5 million

Fines and other6.7%

Interest, rents and other
6.7%$1.9 million
Butler County School District page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges95%Debt payments (principal and interest)5.4%
Full Butler County School District breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
95%$27.5 million
Debt payments (principal and interest)
5.4%$1.6 million
Butler County School District page →

Your state

Commonwealth of Kentucky

$47.8 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

Federal tax money44%State taxes35%Fees for services (hospital bills, college tuition)14%Fines and other5.7%Local tax money0.1%

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
Kentucky page →

Where the money goes

Social services44%Schools and colleges16%Sent to local governments14%Health and hospitals11%Roads, transit and parking5.2%All other spending11%

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
Kentucky page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

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

Butler County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments, Finance, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2022. The Census record for this government is from the 2022 survey, the newest on file.

Butler County School District. Kentucky Department of Education, District Revenues and Expenditures (audited Annual Financial Reports), fiscal year 2025, fiscal year ended June 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 June 30, 2024.

How these figures are counted. Kentucky school district figures are from each district's audited annual financial report filed with the Kentucky Department of Education for fiscal year 2025 (the 2024-25 school year, ended June 30, 2025). Money the state pays on the district's behalf for teacher retirement, health insurance and school-building debt is left out of both revenue and spending, so spending reads lower than the Census figure. Federal money is shown as federal (the Census files much of it as state aid). Bond proceeds and transfers between funds are not counted, and spending includes construction. Spending is grouped as education and debt payments, and local revenue other than taxes is shown as other income. Local taxes of every kind (property, motor vehicle, utility and occupational) are shown together as local taxes, because the district's report does not split them.

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.