ZIP 58105 · Fargo, ND

Four 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 North Dakota

$9.67 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

State taxes50%Federal tax money24%Fines and other17%Fees for services (college tuition, university housing and dining)8.7%Local tax money0.5%
Full North Dakota breakdown

What stands out

34%

of North Dakota's money comes from taxes other than property, sales and income taxes.A typical state government gets 10%.

State taxes50%

Other taxes
34%$3.91 billion
What's in other taxesSeverance taxes; other selective sales taxes and 13 more
  • Severance taxes$3.10 billion
  • Other selective sales taxes$201 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$189 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$122 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$101 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$75.3 million
  • Public utility taxes$35.6 million
  • Amusement taxes$26.4 million
  • Tobacco taxes$21.7 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$19.1 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$10.7 million
  • Driver's licenses$5.1 million
  • Amusement licenses$4.0 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$413 thousand
  • Public utility licenses$4 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
11%$1.32 billion
Individual income tax
3.1%$356 million
Business income tax
2.2%$256 million
Property tax
<0.1%$5.8 million

Fees for services8.7%

Fees for services
8.7%$1.01 billion
What's in fees for servicesOther government-run businesses; college tuition and 9 more
  • Other government-run businesses$419 million
  • College tuition$367 million
  • University housing and dining$114 million
  • Other service charges$57.7 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$30.9 million
  • Parks and recreation$7.1 million
  • Other education charges$6.5 million
  • Housing$4.6 million
  • Road charges$1.5 million
  • Hospital bills$1.4 million
  • Airport$1 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money24%

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

From the federal government
24%$2.78 billion

Local tax money0.5%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.5%$59.1 million

Fines and other17%

Interest, rents and other
17%$1.93 billion
Fines
0.2%$23.8 million
North Dakota page →

Where the money goes

Sent to local governments28%Social services22%Schools and colleges15%Running the government and other costs11%Roads, transit and parking10%All other spending14%

What stands out

11%

of North Dakota's spending goes to running the government and other costs.A typical state government spends 6%.

Full North Dakota breakdown

Spending by category100%

Sent to local governments
28%$2.71 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: general support and 14 more
  • Sent to school districts$1.54 billion
  • Sent to local governments: general support$727 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$196 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$108 million
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$96.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$16.1 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$11.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$5.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$3.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$2.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$1.1 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$1.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$991 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$274 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$27 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: police$20 thousand
Social services
22%$2.11 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$2.08 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$14.3 million
  • Welfare institutions$13.2 million
  • Veterans' services$1.4 million
Schools and colleges
15%$1.49 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; college housing, dining and bookstores and 2 more
  • Colleges and universities$1.18 billion
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$119 million
  • Other education$100 million
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$88.5 million
Running the government and other costs
11%$1.02 billion
What's in running the government and other costsOther government-run businesses; other and not broken out and 4 more
  • Other government-run businesses$414 million
  • Other and not broken out$343 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$202 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$25.0 million
  • Other government administration$22.1 million
  • Government buildings$11.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
10%$982 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways and airports
  • Roads and highways$979 million
  • Airports$2.7 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
3.8%$366 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$152 million
  • Courts and legal services$120 million
  • Police$47.3 million
  • Inspections and regulation$45.1 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$1.3 million
Environment and natural resources
3.2%$314 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$314 million
Interest on debt
3.2%$308 million
Health and hospitals
2.7%$258 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$207 million
  • Hospitals$51.2 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
0.6%$61.3 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply and garbage and solid waste
  • Water supply$56.8 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$4.5 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.4%$40.2 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$36.9 million
  • Libraries$3.3 million
Housing and community development
0.2%$16.7 million
North Dakota page →

Your county

Cass County

$204 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended December 31, 2023.

Where the money comes from

Local tax money43%County taxes30%State tax money18%Fines and other5.5%Fees for services (parks, land and natural resources, road charges)3.0%

What stands out

43%

of Cass County's money comes from county and other local tax money.A typical U.S. county of 50,000 to 250,000 people gets 1.1%.

Full Cass County breakdown

County taxes30%

Property tax
20%$58.0 million
Sales tax
8.1%$23.1 million
Other taxes
1.7%$4.9 million
What's in other taxesPublic utility taxes; motor vehicle licenses and 2 more
  • Public utility taxes$4.6 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$183 thousand
  • Other licenses$104 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$13 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services3.0%

Fees for services
3.0%$8.5 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges; parks, land and natural resources and 2 more
  • Other service charges$6.7 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$1.1 million
  • Road charges$633 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$35 thousand

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%$87 thousand

State tax money18%

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

From the state
18%$50.7 million

Local tax money43%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
43%$124 million

Fines and other5.5%

Interest, rents and other
5.5%$15.5 million
Fines
<0.1%$244 thousand
Cass County page →

Where the money goes

Environment and natural resources46%Police, fire, courts and jails23%Roads, transit and parking16%Running the government and other costs7.1%Social services5.5%All other spending2.1%

What stands out

46%

of Cass County's spending goes to the environment and natural resources.Most U.S. counties of 50,000 to 250,000 people spend nothing on this.

Full Cass County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Environment and natural resources
46%$93.9 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$93.9 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
23%$46.8 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 1 more
  • Prisons and jails$23.0 million
  • Police$18.6 million
  • Courts and legal services$5.1 million
Roads, transit and parking
16%$33.1 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$33.1 million
Running the government and other costs
7.1%$14.4 million
What's in running the government and other costsFinance, tax collection and budgeting; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 3 more
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$9.0 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$3.5 million
  • Government buildings$1.7 million
  • Other and not broken out$254 thousand
  • Other government-run businesses$23 thousand
Social services
5.5%$11.2 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$11.2 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
1.2%$2.4 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation
  • Parks and recreation$2.4 million
Interest on debt
0.5%$1.0 million
Health and hospitals
0.5%$956 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$956 thousand
Cass County page →

Your city

City of Fargo

$462 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended December 31, 2023.

Where the money comes from

Fees for services (water, sewer)29%City taxes29%State tax money17%Fines and other17%Federal tax money8.7%

What stands out

17%

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

Full Fargo breakdown

City taxes29%

Sales tax
16%$69.3 million
Property tax
8.7%$38.7 million
Other taxes
4.3%$19.1 million
What's in other taxesOther licenses; public utility taxes and 2 more
  • Other licenses$6.8 million
  • Public utility taxes$6.4 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$3.3 million
  • Other taxes not classified elsewhere$2.6 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services29%

Fees for services
29%$129 million
What's in fees for servicesWater; sewer and 9 more
  • Water$29.1 million
  • Sewer$24.2 million
  • Garbage collection$18.8 million
  • Other service charges$15.6 million
  • Airport$15.0 million
  • Parks and recreation$13.2 million
  • Road charges$3.7 million
  • Transit fares$3.0 million
  • Parking$2.5 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$2.5 million
  • Housing$1.2 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money8.7%

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

From the federal government
8.7%$38.5 million

State tax money17%

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

From the state
17%$75.2 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%$72 thousand

Fines and other17%

Interest, rents and other
16%$73.3 million
Fines
0.3%$1.5 million
Fargo page →

Where the money goes

Water, sewer, trash and utilities26%Running the government and other costs25%Roads, transit and parking20%Police, fire, courts and jails12%Interest on debt6.2%All other spending11%

What stands out

20%

of Fargo's spending goes to roads, transit and parking.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people spends 10%.

Full Fargo breakdown

Spending by category100%

Water, sewer, trash and utilities
26%$120 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems; water supply and 1 more
  • Sewer systems$60.1 million
  • Water supply$44.7 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$15.3 million
Running the government and other costs
25%$114 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$100 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$6.7 million
  • Government buildings$3.6 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.6 million
Roads, transit and parking
20%$93.7 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; airports and 2 more
  • Roads and highways$48.2 million
  • Airports$32.2 million
  • Public transit$11.9 million
  • Parking$1.4 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
12%$55.3 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; fire protection and 3 more
  • Police$28.1 million
  • Fire protection$21.1 million
  • Inspections and regulation$2.8 million
  • Courts and legal services$2.8 million
  • Prisons and jails$495 thousand
Interest on debt
6.2%$28.5 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$26.0 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$2.5 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
5.1%$23.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$17.9 million
  • Libraries$5.6 million
Health and hospitals
3.7%$17.3 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$17.3 million
Housing and community development
1.2%$5.5 million
Environment and natural resources
0.8%$3.6 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$3.6 million
Social services
<0.1%$316 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$316 thousand
Fargo page →

Your schools

Fargo School District 1

$233 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

State tax money59%School district taxes33%Fines and other3.4%Fees for services (school lunches, school tuition and transportation)2.5%County and local tax money1.7%Federal tax money0.1%
Full Fargo School District 1 breakdown

What stands out

33%

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

School district taxes33%

Property tax
33%$78.8 million

Fees for services2.5%

Fees for services
2.5%$6.0 million
What's in fees for servicesSchool lunches; other school charges and 1 more
  • School lunches$3.3 million
  • Other school charges$2.6 million
  • School tuition and transportation$58 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.1%

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

From the federal government
0.1%$258 thousand

State tax money59%

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

From the state
59%$142 million

County and local tax money1.7%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
1.7%$4.0 million

Fines and other3.4%

Interest, rents and other
3.4%$8.2 million
Fargo School District 1 page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges98%Interest on debt1.3%Sent to other local governments1.1%
Full Fargo School District 1 breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
98%$227 million
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$227 million
Interest on debt
1.3%$2.9 million
Sent to other local governments
1.1%$2.5 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to school districts and sent to the state government
  • Sent to school districts$2.4 million
  • Sent to the state government$35 thousand
Fargo School District 1 page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

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

Cass County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

City of Fargo. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Fargo 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.