Where state taxes go50 states, fiscal 2023
Where do state taxes go?
State governments spent $2.97 trillion in fiscal 2023: 36¢ of each dollar on public welfare and 32¢ on education.That is $8,834 per resident, up 7.7% on fiscal 2022. Pick your state on the map for its own breakdown.
Spending per resident by state
AL$8KAK$16KAZ$8KAR$9KCA$12KCO$7KCT$9KDE$13KFL$6KGA$6KHI$12KID$7KIL$9KIN$7KIA$8KKS$9KKY$10KLA$10KME$9KMD$9KMA$11KMI$9KMN$10KMS$8KMO$7KMT$8KNE$8KNV$7KNH$7KNJ$10KNM$15KNY$12KNC$7KND$12KOH$8KOK$7KOR$12KPA$9KRI$10KSC$8KSD$7KTN$6KTX$6KUT$9KVT$14KVA$9KWA$9KWV$10KWI$9KWY$10K
Less spending per residentMore
Most per resident
| Alaska | $15,860 |
| New Mexico | $14,677 |
| Vermont | $13,905 |
| Delaware | $12,519 |
| California | $12,045 |
Least per resident
| Florida | $5,898 |
| Georgia | $6,188 |
| Tennessee | $6,282 |
| Texas | $6,406 |
| South Dakota | $7,131 |
Where the money goes, all states
Utah puts the largest share into education (44%), Arizona into public welfare (47%).
Public welfare and education take 68% of state spending
General expenditure of all 50 state governments by function, fiscal 2023
| Function | Spending | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Public welfare | $1.07T | 36.1% |
| Education | $936.5B | 31.5% |
| Other | $262.8B | 8.9% |
| Highways | $179.6B | 6.1% |
| Hospitals | $137.2B | 4.6% |
| Government administration | $107.8B | 3.6% |
| Public health | $96.6B | 3.3% |
| Prisons and corrections | $66.4B | 2.2% |
| Natural resources | $37.8B | 1.3% |
| Interest on debt | $36.5B | 1.2% |
| State police | $24.7B | 0.8% |
| Parks and recreation | $9.8B | 0.3% |
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Finances, 2023.
Every state
General spending of each state government, the share on education and public welfare, the share of general revenue from federal funds, and state taxes per resident. Select a column to sort.
| State | General spending | Per resident | Education | Public welfare | From federal funds | State taxes per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $40.9B | $7,982 | 43% | 25% | 40% | $3,266 |
| Alaska | $11.7B | $15,860 | 23% | 29% | 45% | $4,453 |
| Arizona | $60.6B | $8,134 | 32% | 47% | 49% | $3,135 |
| Arkansas | $27.6B | $8,998 | 38% | 35% | 41% | $4,156 |
| California | $472.0B | $12,045 | 29% | 43% | 33% | $5,630 |
| Colorado | $43.0B | $7,272 | 38% | 32% | 36% | $3,067 |
| Connecticut | $31.8B | $8,730 | 27% | 18% | 31% | $6,013 |
| Delaware | $13.0B | $12,519 | 34% | 30% | 31% | $6,339 |
| Florida | $135.2B | $5,898 | 30% | 30% | 38% | $2,700 |
| Georgia | $68.5B | $6,188 | 38% | 30% | 40% | $3,046 |
| Hawaii | $17.1B | $11,932 | 33% | 24% | 26% | $7,100 |
| Idaho | $14.3B | $7,235 | 34% | 26% | 31% | $3,748 |
| Illinois | $114.5B | $9,063 | 27% | 38% | 32% | $4,986 |
| Indiana | $51.5B | $7,491 | 38% | 40% | 40% | $4,407 |
| Iowa | $27.1B | $8,415 | 31% | 33% | 34% | $4,034 |
| Kansas | $25.8B | $8,760 | 37% | 26% | 27% | $4,454 |
| Kentucky | $44.7B | $9,815 | 27% | 42% | 44% | $3,784 |
| Louisiana | $43.8B | $9,523 | 30% | 40% | 52% | $3,370 |
| Maine | $13.2B | $9,403 | 24% | 42% | 40% | $4,593 |
| Maryland | $57.4B | $9,257 | 33% | 35% | 36% | $4,786 |
| Massachusetts | $77.7B | $10,987 | 23% | 44% | 32% | $5,882 |
| Michigan | $89.6B | $8,900 | 38% | 30% | 37% | $3,690 |
| Minnesota | $56.0B | $9,740 | 33% | 41% | 32% | $5,992 |
| Mississippi | $24.4B | $8,304 | 32% | 33% | 44% | $3,510 |
| Missouri | $44.4B | $7,147 | 29% | 34% | 46% | $2,797 |
| Montana | $8.6B | $7,636 | 27% | 35% | 45% | $4,166 |
| Nebraska | $15.1B | $7,574 | 31% | 33% | 39% | $3,685 |
| Nevada | $23.7B | $7,388 | 44% | 26% | 33% | $4,415 |
| New Hampshire | $10.1B | $7,231 | 27% | 34% | 42% | $2,531 |
| New Jersey | $89.6B | $9,538 | 36% | 32% | 31% | $5,500 |
| New Mexico | $31.1B | $14,677 | 27% | 33% | 34% | $6,732 |
| New York | $229.5B | $11,601 | 25% | 44% | 39% | $6,327 |
| North Carolina | $79.2B | $7,282 | 35% | 30% | 36% | $3,582 |
| North Dakota | $9.3B | $11,780 | 31% | 24% | 28% | $7,685 |
| Ohio | $95.7B | $8,108 | 29% | 42% | 39% | $3,281 |
| Oklahoma | $29.9B | $7,351 | 33% | 37% | 44% | $3,408 |
| Oregon | $50.0B | $11,767 | 29% | 37% | 34% | $4,912 |
| Pennsylvania | $123.1B | $9,464 | 27% | 40% | 39% | $4,233 |
| Rhode Island | $11.5B | $10,481 | 25% | 36% | 43% | $4,303 |
| South Carolina | $42.3B | $7,855 | 37% | 25% | 40% | $2,903 |
| South Dakota | $6.5B | $7,131 | 31% | 25% | 41% | $2,865 |
| Tennessee | $44.9B | $6,282 | 32% | 36% | 42% | $3,330 |
| Texas | $196.8B | $6,406 | 38% | 33% | 38% | $2,825 |
| Utah | $29.9B | $8,659 | 44% | 23% | 28% | $3,911 |
| Vermont | $9.0B | $13,905 | 39% | 29% | 37% | $6,945 |
| Virginia | $77.3B | $8,847 | 31% | 33% | 30% | $4,251 |
| Washington | $74.4B | $9,486 | 39% | 25% | 33% | $4,851 |
| West Virginia | $18.0B | $10,195 | 30% | 37% | 43% | $4,316 |
| Wisconsin | $51.6B | $8,707 | 31% | 31% | 32% | $4,004 |
| Wyoming | $5.8B | $9,929 | 35% | 19% | 46% | $5,724 |
Questions and answers
- Where do state taxes go?
- In all 50 states combined, 36¢ of every dollar of state general spending went to public welfare and 32¢ to education in fiscal 2023. Public welfare is mostly Medicaid. Next come highways, hospitals, government administration.
- Which state spends the most per person?
- Alaska: $15,860 per resident. The least is Florida ($5,898).
- Which state relies most on federal money?
- Louisiana: 52% of its general revenue came from the federal government in fiscal 2023. The lowest share was Hawaii (26%).
- Does this include local taxes?
- No. These are state governments only. Property taxes mostly go to counties, cities and school districts, which the Census Bureau reports separately.
- How is this different from federal taxes?
- Federal taxes pay for Social Security, Medicare, defense and interest; see where your federal taxes go and federal taxes paid by state.
Sources and notes
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Finances, "ASFIN State Totals", 2022 and 2023 (Last Revised: September 16, 2025). Public domain.
- General expenditure excludes state utilities, liquor stores and insurance trust funds (pensions, unemployment benefits).
- Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates, July 2023. District of Columbia is not a state government in this survey.