Where Charleston’s taxes go

Charleston residents pay property tax shared by the local governments where they live. In fiscal year 2026 the City of Charleston spent $118M.

City spending, FY 2026
$118M

Of every $100 the city spends

FY 2026
  • Public Safety$43.33Police Department, Fire Department, Traffic Engineering, +1 more
  • General Government$29.11Insurance Program (Self Insured), Contributions / Transfers to Other Funds, Program Planning, +26 more
  • Capital & Infrastructure$8.26Public Safety, Street and Transportation, General Government, +3 more
  • Public Works$7.93Streets and Highways, Central Garage
  • Recreation & Culture$6.69Parks & Recreation, Visitors Bureau, Library, +5 more
  • Health & Human Services$3.67Garbage Department, Local Health Department
  • Human Services$1.01

Who taxes Charleston residents

  • Federal governmentIncome, Social Security and Medicare taxes
  • State of West VirginiaState taxes
  • City of CharlestonA share of property tax

See what you pay, in your dollars

Your federal, state, and local taxes, and where each one goes.

See mine

Sources & methods

Where these numbers come from
  • Local budgetCharleston budget (wv_sao_budget_pdf)FY 2026

Educational estimates from official public data. Not tax advice.