County Commons · Kentucky
Kentucky: state government and every county
The state's own money — what it collects and what it spends on — its official offices, how to vote, and a page for each of its 120 counties. Every number from official public records, with sources.
4,588,372 people (2024 Census estimate, +1.8% since 2020) · 120 counties
The state's money — Kentucky state government, fiscal 2023
The state government took in $46.2 billion and spent $44.7 billion · $9,741 per resident. It owed $10.2 billion in debt at year's end.
Of every $100 it spends
Public welfare$42.05 · $18.8 billion
Education$27.14 · $12.1 billion
Hospitals$8.33 · $3.7 billion
Other and unallocable$6.06 · $2.7 billion
Highways$6.03 · $2.7 billion
Governmental administration$4.03 · $1.8 billion
Correction$1.88 · $839.8 million
Health$1.49 · $666.7 million
Natural resources$1.08 · $481.7 million
Police protection$1.07 · $479 million
Parks and recreation$0.52 · $231.4 million
Interest on general debt$0.32 · $140.8 million
✓ These 12 functions add to the state's general expenditure, $44.7 billion, exactly. “Public welfare” is mostly Medicaid. Money the state passes to counties, cities and school districts is counted in the function it pays for.
Where its money comes from
Taxes$17.2 billion
Individual income tax$6 billion
General sales tax$5.7 billion
Selective sales taxes (fuel, tobacco, alcohol and others)$2.6 billion
Corporate income tax$1.2 billion
Property tax (state share)$790.9 million
License taxes (vehicles, businesses, hunting and others)$601.3 million
Other taxes (severance, transfer and others)$226.9 million
From other governments (mostly federal aid)$20.3 billion
Charges and fees (tuition, tolls, hospital charges)$6.3 billion
Other general revenue (interest, rents, settlements)$2.4 billion
Pension and insurance trust earnings and contributions$5.6 billion
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Annual Survey of State Government Finances (State Totals), last revised Sept. 16, 2025. These are the state government's own books — counties, cities and school districts are separate.