Where States Get Their Money

FY 2020

Where States Get Their Money, FY 2020

Note: this data has been updated.

Pandemic relief aid increased the portion of state government revenue coming from federal dollars to nearly 36% in fiscal year 2020, the highest level on record. The federal share of revenue hit new highs in most states. Federal funds were the largest source of dollars in 18 states, up from just four states a year earlier. Taxes remained the largest revenue source in the other 32 states and overall, at 45.8% of state revenue.

This infographic displays a breakdown of each state’s revenue by major categories.

Percentage of State Revenue by Source, FY 2020

Select revenue sources below to highlight them and resort the chart:

Taxes
Federal funds
Service charges
Miscellaneous
Local funds
0%25%50%75%100%0%25%50%75%100%

Note: This analysis uses “general revenue,” which accounts for all state revenue sources except state-owned liquor stores, utilities, and insurance trust funds. Vermont received more federal funds than it collected in tax revenue, although the shares appear equal due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Annual Survey of State Government Finances

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
fiscal 50
Data Visualization

Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis

Quick View
Data Visualization

Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis, an interactive resource from The Pew Charitable Trusts, allows you to sort and analyze data on key fiscal, economic, and demographic trends in the 50 states and understand their impact on states’ fiscal health.

How states raise their tax dollars
How states raise their tax dollars
Data Visualization

How States Raise Their Tax Dollars, FY 2021

Quick View
Data Visualization

Taxes make up about half of state government revenue, with two-thirds of states’ total tax dollars coming from levies on personal income (39.8%) and general sales of goods and services (29.2%).

Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics

Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.

Quick View

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.