Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026Details

This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you
Read by hand. We read Toronto's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.

The money · 2025

How Toronto's money works

A city is a bit like a household. Money comes in (mostly taxes and grants), and money goes out to pay for services like roads, fire trucks and the arena. Here is what that looked like in 2025, the latest year the city has reported to the Province.

Why 2025 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario.

Money in: $19.7B

Where the city's money came from in 2025.

34%

29%

17%

14%

Property taxes$6.2B34%
Grants for specific projects$5.3B29%
Fees people pay$3.2B17%
Licences and rent$768M4%
Other$2.6B14%
Everything else$356M2%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$6,237,944,105	33.6%
Grants for specific projects	$5,324,890,928	28.7%
Fees people pay	$3,235,981,313	17.4%
Licences and rent	$768,478,136	4.1%
Other	$2,647,993,493	14.3%
Everything else	$356,278,574	1.9%
Total	$18,571,566,549	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
Grants for specific projects: Money from Ontario or Canada that must be spent on a certain thing, often a road or building.
Fees people pay: Water and sewer bills, dump fees, arena rentals, permits and similar charges.
Licences and rent: Dog tags, licences, and rent from city-owned property.
Other: Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.

Money out: $15.9B on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $2.1B of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

15%

25%

Running the city office$1.4B9%
Police, fire and safety$2.4B15%
Roads and snow$3.9B25%
Water, sewers and garbage$892M6%
Health$614M4%
Social services$3.9B25%
Housing$1.2B7%
Parks, arena and library$1.3B8%
Planning and business$162M1%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$1,423,739,478	9.0%
Police, fire and safety	$2,442,596,167	15.4%
Roads and snow	$3,940,980,833	24.9%
Water, sewers and garbage	$891,982,955	5.6%
Health	$613,808,111	3.9%
Social services	$3,947,836,875	24.9%
Housing	$1,167,805,735	7.4%
Parks, arena and library	$1,259,903,950	7.9%
Planning and business	$161,677,564	1.0%
Total	$15,850,331,668	100%

Social services

$3.9B

Help for people and families who need it, and child care.

+34% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Income support$2.3B+10%
Help for people with very low income.
Child care$1.2B+105%
Daycare and early learning.
Seniors$441M+56%
Long-term care and seniors programs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Income support	$2,274,071,838	+10.4%
Child care	$1,232,345,606	+105.2%
Seniors	$441,419,431	+56.2%

Roads and snow

$3.9B

Fixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.

+39% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public transit$3.0B+44%
Buses.
Paved roads$276M−12%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Other transportation$186M+230%
Other transportation costs.
Roadsides and signs$146M+127%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Sidewalk snow$101M+37%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Parking$89.8M+39%
City parking lots and meters.
Snow ploughing$88.6M−9%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Street lights$62.8M+19%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Bridges and culverts$19M−47%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public transit	$2,970,776,286	+43.7%
Paved roads	$276,291,037	−12.1%
Other transportation	$186,309,498	+229.6%
Roadsides and signs	$145,884,105	+127.2%
Sidewalk snow	$101,499,264	+37.3%
Parking	$89,792,977	+39.2%
Snow ploughing	$88,564,854	−8.6%
Street lights	$62,845,795	+19.4%
Bridges and culverts	$19,017,017	−47.2%

Police, fire and safety

$2.4B

Paying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.

+33% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Police (OPP contract)$1.5B+40%
What the city pays for policing.
Fire department$626M+23%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
By-law and animal control$89.1M+42%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Building permits$78.1M+45%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Court security$50.5M−17%
Security at the courthouse.
Traffic court$35.1M+13%
Handling tickets and fines.
Conservation authority$28.6M−6%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
Emergency planning$7.3M+171%
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.
Prisoner transport$491K
Moving people held by police.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$1,527,240,994	+40.3%
Fire department	$626,230,520	+23.2%
By-law and animal control	$89,081,736	+42.2%
Building permits	$78,090,370	+44.6%
Court security	$50,467,990	−16.6%
Traffic court	$35,082,821	+12.8%
Conservation authority	$28,640,784	−6.2%
Emergency planning	$7,270,004	+171.0%
Prisoner transport	$490,948	–

Running the city office

$1.4B

Council, managers, the clerk, accounting, computers, insurance and the city hall itself. Every city needs some of this, but it does not fix a road or put out a fire.

+47% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Office and administration$811M+17%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Senior management$549M+136%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Council$63M+37%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Office and administration	$811,321,744	+17.1%
Senior management	$549,369,190	+135.9%
Council	$63,048,544	+37.5%

Parks, arena and library

$1.3B

Parks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.

+33% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Programs$318M+119%
Classes, camps and activities.
Library$261M+37%
The public library.
Arena and buildings$224M+11%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Parks$208M+24%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Arts and culture$205M−1%
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Golf, marina, ski hill$23.7M+43%
City-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.
Other recreation$10.5M+60%
Other recreation costs.
Museums$10.1M+2%
Local museums.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Programs	$317,531,984	+118.6%
Library	$261,246,944	+36.7%
Arena and buildings	$224,359,607	+10.7%
Parks	$207,564,800	+24.5%
Arts and culture	$204,891,439	−1.2%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$23,714,076	+43.0%
Other recreation	$10,505,476	+59.9%
Museums	$10,089,624	+2.0%

Housing

$1.2B

Affordable and social housing.

+440% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public housing$1.2B+440%
Homes owned by government.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public housing	$1,167,805,735	+439.8%

Water, sewers and garbage

$892M

Clean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.

+12% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Sewage treatment$188M+30%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Recycling$165M−1%
Recycling and composting.
Water pipes$153M+44%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
The dump (landfill)$86.1M−34%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Sewer pipes$83.9M0%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Water treatment$71M+27%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
Storm drains$59.7M+38%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Other environment$49.4M+35%
Other environmental costs.
Garbage pickup$35.9M+37%
Trucks that collect garbage.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Sewage treatment	$187,964,506	+30.0%
Recycling	$164,592,116	−0.8%
Water pipes	$153,359,068	+43.8%
The dump (landfill)	$86,139,793	−33.8%
Sewer pipes	$83,927,801	−0.2%
Water treatment	$70,982,965	+27.1%
Storm drains	$59,703,438	+38.4%
Other environment	$49,412,614	+35.3%
Garbage pickup	$35,900,654	+37.1%

Health

$614M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+30% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Ambulance$313M+54%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Public health$250M+3%
Health inspections and programs.
Other health$9.7M+600%
Other health costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Ambulance	$312,684,165	+53.6%
Public health	$250,138,011	+2.8%
Other health	$9,704,141	+599.9%

Planning and business

$162M

Deciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to city.

−29% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Planning and zoning$135M−37%
Deciding what can be built where.
Business and tourism$26.4M+95%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Planning and zoning	$135,275,678	−36.9%
Business and tourism	$26,401,886	+95.0%

What the money bought

The same 2025 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Staff pay and benefits$8.0B
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Outside companies$2.9B
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Money given to others$2.2B
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Supplies and utilities$1.7B
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Rent and money costs$621M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Interest on loans$483M
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$7,997,463,334
Outside companies	$2,903,269,711
Money given to others	$2,201,403,465
Supplies and utilities	$1,709,757,100
Rent and money costs	$620,849,524
Interest on loans	$482,849,468

Staff

People on the city's payroll at the end of each year, as reported to the Province.

Year	Full-time	Part-time	Seasonal
2019	48684	14560	794
2020	47657	13178	264
2021	48285	17687	308
2022	49980	19577	402
2023	51590	16883	459
2024	53820.55	17725.06	403.9
2025	56174	16918	581

How things have changed since 2019

Money in compared with day-to-day spending, each year. When the orange line is above the blue one, the city spent more than it took in and made up the difference from savings or loans. Grants for big projects arrive in some years and not others, which makes "money in" jump around.

$19.7B

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$14.4B	$11.4B
2020	$14B	$11B
2021	$15.2B	$11.7B
2022	$15.7B	$12.2B
2023	$16.3B	$13.3B
2024	$18.2B	$14.4B
2025	$19.7B	$15.9B

City property tax

Up 39% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$6.2B

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$4.5B
2020	$4.7B
2021	$4.8B
2022	$5.0B
2023	$5.4B
2024	$5.8B
2025	$6.2B

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$7.0B

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$3.4B
2020	$4.2B
2021	$5.1B
2022	$6.4B
2023	$6.4B
2024	$6.9B
2025	$7.0B

What the city owes

Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.

$13B

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$9.0B	$107M
2020	$10B	$68.5M
2021	$10.3B	$98.6M
2022	$11.5B	$118M
2023	$11.5B	$143M
2024	$12.2B	$66.4M
2025	$13B	$136M

Building new things

Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.

$6.1B

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$2.8B	$1.4B
2020	$3.1B	$1.4B
2021	$2.3B	$1.6B
2022	$3.3B	$1.6B
2023	$4.5B	$1.8B
2024	$3.6B	$1.8B
2025	$6.1B	$2.1B

Source: Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), Schedules 10, 40, 51, 60, 70, 74 and 80 (archived copy). Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Retrieved 2026-10-01. Figures are what the municipality reported to the Province for each year, prepared on the same basis as its audited financial statements.