John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
In total, residents in Etowah County received $1.5 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 34.2% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Alabama, government transfer payments totaled $60.5 billion, making up 23.4% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $11,924 per resident.
Government transfer payments are non-repayable funds provided by federal, state, or local governments to support individuals in need. These payments aim to stabilize economic conditions and provide financial support during hardships. Key programs include Social Security transfers (retirement benefits), Medicare transfers (healthcare for seniors), Medicaid transfers (healthcare for low-income individuals), and income maintenance transfers (financial assistance for basic needs).
Breaking down the contributions in Etowah County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $502.5 million, amounting to $4,875 per capita, or 33.2% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $426.9 million ($4,141 per capita), representing 28.2% of the total. Medicaid contributed $234.5 million ($2,274 per capita), making up 15.5% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $166.2 million ($1,612 per capita), or 11% of the total.
With 19.7% of the population aged 65 and older, Etowah County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Etowah County was $28,265, far below the county’s total income of $42,951, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Etowah County saw a decrease of 14.1% in per capita government transfers, from $17,093 to $14,686 per capita.
Government transfers have long been a modest financial safety net, historically comprising only a small fraction of Americans' income. However, since the 1970s—sometimes dubbed the “Great Transfer-mation”—dependency has surged from 8.21% (or $2,022 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970 to 17.63% (or $11,542 per capita) in 2022. In Etowah County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 10.85% (or $1,918 per capita) in 1970 to 34.2% (or $14,686 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilcox County | 1 | $18,348 | 46% | 22.54% | $57,124,000 | $42,955,000 | $33,089,000 | $36,711,000 |
| Perry County | 2 | $18,237 | 47.63% | 21.9% | $39,236,000 | $32,118,000 | $31,511,000 | $30,310,000 |
| Greene County | 3 | $17,080 | 44.82% | 25.54% | $39,000,000 | $31,601,000 | $19,973,000 | $23,504,000 |
| Dallas County | 4 | $17,007 | 40.67% | 20.47% | $170,029,000 | $151,463,000 | $114,498,000 | $124,171,000 |
| Conecuh County | 5 | $16,955 | 41.99% | 25% | $63,093,000 | $46,750,000 | $27,425,000 | $26,767,000 |
| Fayette County | 6 | $16,692 | 39.71% | 21.79% | $90,700,000 | $85,434,000 | $40,530,000 | $29,080,000 |
| Choctaw County | 7 | $16,436 | 35.39% | 24.21% | $74,515,000 | $58,936,000 | $25,033,000 | $25,510,000 |
| Lowndes County | 8 | $16,211 | 34.76% | 20.8% | $49,080,000 | $36,218,000 | $24,675,000 | $30,953,000 |
| Hale County | 9 | $16,189 | 37.46% | 20.36% | $72,019,000 | $63,038,000 | $38,695,000 | $36,914,000 |
| Marengo County | 10 | $15,981 | 34.15% | 20.58% | $101,201,000 | $76,083,000 | $49,009,000 | $44,171,000 |
| Clarke County | 11 | $15,554 | 34.43% | 20.72% | $124,189,000 | $92,755,000 | $46,443,000 | $50,502,000 |
| Monroe County | 12 | $15,019 | 36.47% | 21.74% | $102,044,000 | $77,089,000 | $42,077,000 | $37,985,000 |
| Walker County | 13 | $14,939 | 31.99% | 19.87% | $346,551,000 | $267,767,000 | $143,063,000 | $102,067,000 |
| Sumter County | 14 | $14,896 | 38.65% | 19.92% | $53,574,000 | $41,597,000 | $25,612,000 | $30,658,000 |
| Butler County | 15 | $14,893 | 31.74% | 21.53% | $89,284,000 | $67,817,000 | $43,189,000 | $44,981,000 |
| Washington County | 16 | $14,857 | 34% | 20.88% | $86,603,000 | $61,642,000 | $26,973,000 | $27,003,000 |
| Etowah County | 17 | $14,686 | 34.19% | 19.72% | $502,518,000 | $426,931,000 | $234,466,000 | $166,181,000 |
| Crenshaw County | 18 | $14,683 | 30.67% | 19.91% | $64,907,000 | $47,243,000 | $29,343,000 | $26,663,000 |
| Henry County | 19 | $14,682 | 28.21% | 23.92% | $95,081,000 | $74,991,000 | $31,043,000 | $26,650,000 |
| Barbour County | 20 | $14,648 | 36.12% | 20.3% | $117,785,000 | $97,298,000 | $57,481,000 | $54,068,000 |
| Tallapoosa County | 21 | $14,615 | 29.97% | 23.56% | $227,737,000 | $152,093,000 | $78,916,000 | $69,822,000 |
| Pickens County | 22 | $14,606 | 34.24% | 19.61% | $90,079,000 | $76,839,000 | $39,261,000 | $36,207,000 |
| Lamar County | 23 | $14,604 | 37.26% | 22.44% | $71,968,000 | $53,034,000 | $30,915,000 | $23,279,000 |
| Covington County | 24 | $14,471 | 34.83% | 22.32% | $183,796,000 | $152,266,000 | $76,833,000 | $64,261,000 |
| Randolph County | 25 | $14,338 | 33.67% | 21.3% | $113,055,000 | $84,897,000 | $39,839,000 | $44,150,000 |
| Cherokee County | 26 | $14,328 | 31.92% | 24.56% | $145,329,000 | $98,761,000 | $43,871,000 | $34,810,000 |
| Coosa County | 27 | $14,125 | 35.65% | 25.79% | $51,004,000 | $44,925,000 | $12,669,000 | $17,151,000 |
| Geneva County | 28 | $13,910 | 33.69% | 20.96% | $123,569,000 | $95,885,000 | $52,019,000 | $45,930,000 |
| Winston County | 29 | $13,797 | 31.51% | 22% | $114,060,000 | $99,746,000 | $43,293,000 | $36,071,000 |
| Chambers County | 30 | $13,769 | 35.42% | 20.61% | $170,191,000 | $120,096,000 | $61,711,000 | $66,000,000 |
| Macon County | 31 | $13,726 | 35.99% | 21.38% | $79,777,000 | $55,512,000 | $33,714,000 | $39,425,000 |
| Houston County | 32 | $13,458 | 26.34% | 18.71% | $479,107,000 | $374,600,000 | $198,571,000 | $193,698,000 |
| Russell County | 33 | $13,388 | 34.82% | 15.62% | $227,774,000 | $156,482,000 | $71,592,000 | $116,293,000 |
| Calhoun County | 34 | $13,328 | 31.34% | 18.46% | $507,047,000 | $416,532,000 | $199,379,000 | $189,573,000 |
| Dale County | 35 | $13,262 | 30.16% | 18.2% | $201,744,000 | $147,767,000 | $87,672,000 | $89,194,000 |
| Talladega County | 36 | $13,150 | 31.89% | 19.56% | $378,128,000 | $284,231,000 | $151,478,000 | $136,829,000 |
| Escambia County | 37 | $13,084 | 33.69% | 18.81% | $167,460,000 | $131,446,000 | $59,414,000 | $69,491,000 |
| Clay County | 38 | $12,907 | 32.37% | 21.31% | $67,066,000 | $50,397,000 | $25,401,000 | $20,328,000 |
| Jackson County | 39 | $12,862 | 29.72% | 21% | $262,306,000 | $194,394,000 | $77,725,000 | $72,339,000 |
| Colbert County | 40 | $12,846 | 29.16% | 20.62% | $283,780,000 | $198,999,000 | $82,946,000 | $77,866,000 |
| Coffee County | 41 | $12,806 | 25.24% | 17.2% | $210,246,000 | $147,397,000 | $83,151,000 | $74,980,000 |
| Lawrence County | 42 | $12,792 | 30.81% | 18.97% | $159,803,000 | $126,565,000 | $48,122,000 | $50,694,000 |
| Mobile County | 43 | $12,602 | 26.48% | 17.35% | $1,684,009,000 | $1,301,559,000 | $762,320,000 | $769,916,000 |
| Montgomery County | 44 | $12,410 | 25.22% | 16.22% | $847,826,000 | $582,612,000 | $388,981,000 | $486,437,000 |
| Pike County | 45 | $12,283 | 26.26% | 15.68% | $118,380,000 | $92,944,000 | $59,430,000 | $60,575,000 |
| DeKalb County | 46 | $12,186 | 30% | 17.83% | $298,241,000 | $218,032,000 | $137,131,000 | $123,836,000 |
| Bibb County | 47 | $12,124 | 32.32% | 17.81% | $92,450,000 | $78,218,000 | $37,031,000 | $32,996,000 |
| Cleburne County | 48 | $12,036 | 27.21% | 19.59% | $68,232,000 | $49,142,000 | $25,690,000 | $23,545,000 |
| Chilton County | 49 | $11,939 | 28.27% | 17.28% | $189,568,000 | $148,642,000 | $72,950,000 | $71,221,000 |
| Marion County | 50 | $11,935 | 28.2% | 21.43% | $131,898,000 | $78,569,000 | $49,660,000 | $47,668,000 |
| Lauderdale County | 51 | $11,933 | 26.46% | 20.56% | $459,495,000 | $298,525,000 | $124,333,000 | $107,178,000 |
| Baldwin County | 52 | $11,878 | 20.93% | 21.67% | $1,221,500,000 | $815,733,000 | $221,851,000 | $222,184,000 |
| Franklin County | 53 | $11,853 | 28.18% | 17.41% | $126,026,000 | $103,837,000 | $59,691,000 | $51,533,000 |
| Bullock County | 54 | $11,806 | 37.61% | 18.51% | $33,812,000 | $24,045,000 | $23,631,000 | $25,350,000 |
| Cullman County | 55 | $11,797 | 24% | 19% | $401,341,000 | $304,137,000 | $123,839,000 | $104,191,000 |
| Jefferson County | 56 | $11,783 | 17.76% | 16.81% | $2,688,199,000 | $2,095,540,000 | $1,106,229,000 | $1,042,152,000 |
| Marshall County | 57 | $11,561 | 25.19% | 17.11% | $398,164,000 | $300,785,000 | $153,976,000 | $150,976,000 |
| Morgan County | 58 | $11,472 | 24.83% | 18.11% | $544,124,000 | $356,775,000 | $191,700,000 | $165,343,000 |
| Elmore County | 59 | $11,461 | 23.36% | 16.63% | $370,805,000 | $256,090,000 | $98,764,000 | $105,600,000 |
| St. Clair County | 60 | $11,095 | 23% | 17.94% | $394,128,000 | $269,166,000 | $139,152,000 | $108,012,000 |
| Autauga County | 61 | $10,892 | 22% | 16.34% | $223,888,000 | $144,998,000 | $74,448,000 | $75,272,000 |
| Blount County | 62 | $10,628 | 24.3% | 18.97% | $251,408,000 | $159,870,000 | $76,809,000 | $69,003,000 |
| Madison County | 63 | $9,979 | 16.29% | 15.75% | $1,398,554,000 | $977,442,000 | $373,003,000 | $378,359,000 |
| Limestone County | 64 | $9,620 | 17.83% | 15.71% | $392,577,000 | $267,896,000 | $84,289,000 | $95,521,000 |
| Tuscaloosa County | 65 | $9,251 | 22.44% | 13.99% | $750,895,000 | $548,910,000 | $286,012,000 | $285,458,000 |
| Shelby County | 66 | $8,891 | 13.19% | 16.86% | $909,976,000 | $592,090,000 | $110,562,000 | $152,799,000 |
| Lee County | 67 | $8,351 | 17.88% | 13.41% | $539,332,000 | $325,485,000 | $126,303,000 | $191,740,000 |
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