John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
Among Wisconsin’s counties, Price County saw the largest increase in transfer dependency over the past 10 years, surging 7.7% from 25.6% in 2012 to 33.3% in 2022, and up 19% from just 14.3% in 1970. In dollar terms, government transfers per capita in Price County jumped from $12,136 in 2012 to $17,263 in 2022, a stark contrast to the $2,383 recorded in 1970.
Ashland County followed with the second-largest increase in transfer dependency, increasing 7.2% from 27.3% in 2012 to 34.5% in 2022, and an overall increase of 19% from 1970’s 15.5% transfer dependency. This trend is reflected in per capita amounts, with residents of Ashland County receiving an average of $15,884 in transfer income in 2022, up from $11,269 in 2012 and more than double the $2,383 recorded in 1970.
Additionally, Menominee County had the highest percentage of income derived from government transfers, at 36.6% in 2022, making it the county with the highest overall transfer dependency. Ashland County and Forest County followed closely behind, with transfer dependency rates of 34.5% and 34.1% in 2022, respectively.
Compared to 1970, Menominee County increased by 36.6%, while Ashland County and Forest County have increased by 19% and 15.8%, respectively, showing sustained reliance on government transfers. Residents in Menominee County received an average of $15,176 in transfers per capita, with Ashland County and Forest County close behind at $15,884 and $15,420, respectively.
For comparison, the statewide average was 18.1% in 2022, showing a higher dependency than the national average of 17.6%. On a per capita level, this translates to $11,137 per resident in 2022, compared to $11,542 nationwide.
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).
In Wisconsin, reliance on government transfers was just 8.5% (or $1,986 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970. This has since increased to 18.1% (or $11,137 per capita) in 2022, reflecting a total increase of 9.6% since 1970. This shift is largely influenced by increased healthcare costs, and economic transformations that have reshaped income sources across the U.S.
In 2022, the primary government transfer programs in Wisconsin included:
- Social Security: $4,256 (38.2% of total transfers)
- Medicare: $2,763 (24.8% of total transfers)
- Medicaid: $2,003 (18% of total transfers)
- Income Maintenance Programs: $1,056 (9.5% of total transfers)
With 18.6% of the population aged 65 and older, Wisconsin has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. However, counties with higher poverty rates also show elevated Medicaid and income maintenance participation.
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 8.2% (or $2,022 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970 to 17.6% (or $11,542 per capita) in 2022 nationwide. In Wisconsin, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 8.5% (or $1,986 per capita) in 1970 to 18.1% (or $11,137 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 | Dependency on Transfers (%) | Change Since 2012 | Change Since 1970 | Per Capita Amount (2022) | Per Capita Change Since 2012 | Per Capita Change Since 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 32.4% | 2.7% | 16.1% | $14,485 | $2,195 | $11,847 |
| Ashland County | 34.5% | 7.2% | 19% | $15,884 | $4,615 | $13,120 |
| Barron County | 24% | 3.6% | 10.4% | $13,933 | $3,526 | $11,520 |
| Bayfield County | 27.1% | 4.4% | 10% | $14,349 | $3,411 | $11,640 |
| Brown County | 15% | 1.6% | 8.1% | $9,355 | $2,147 | $7,848 |
| Buffalo County | 23.2% | 3.6% | 12.4% | $12,825 | $3,401 | $10,662 |
| Burnett County | 33.2% | 4.6% | 15.4% | $15,942 | $3,621 | $13,075 |
| Calumet County | 12.1% | 0.7% | 6.7% | $7,140 | $1,464 | $5,963 |
| Chippewa County | 21.4% | 3% | 11% | $11,657 | $2,800 | $9,623 |
| Clark County | 22.3% | 2% | 10.8% | $11,465 | $3,070 | $9,415 |
| Columbia County | 17% | 1.5% | 7.1% | $10,437 | $2,300 | $8,234 |
| Crawford County | 27.2% | 3.4% | 14.5% | $13,798 | $3,893 | $11,609 |
| Dane County | 11% | 0% | 4.9% | $8,073 | $1,485 | $6,392 |
| Dodge County | 19.4% | 2.7% | 12.4% | $10,181 | $2,339 | $8,723 |
| Door County | 20.3% | 1.1% | 9.8% | $14,465 | $3,254 | $12,244 |
| Douglas County | 28% | 3.1% | 13.6% | $13,845 | $3,200 | $10,912 |
| Dunn County | 21.7% | 2.5% | 10.4% | $10,710 | $2,419 | $8,744 |
| Eau Claire County | 18.4% | 2% | 9.7% | $10,541 | $2,369 | $8,572 |
| Florence County | 23.8% | 0.8% | 8% | $14,800 | $3,081 | $11,884 |
| Fond du Lac County | 19.8% | 2.3% | 11.6% | $11,502 | $2,991 | $9,654 |
| Forest County | 34.1% | 4.3% | 15.8% | $15,420 | $3,244 | $12,520 |
| Grant County | 21.7% | 2.8% | 13.2% | $11,354 | $2,713 | $9,524 |
| Green County | 17.4% | 2.7% | 11% | $10,659 | $2,798 | $8,974 |
| Green Lake County | 24.6% | 5.4% | 15.7% | $12,723 | $3,012 | $10,612 |
| Iowa County | 17% | 1.9% | 8.3% | $10,012 | $2,569 | $8,334 |
| Iron County | 32.4% | 3.6% | 13.8% | $17,398 | $3,643 | $14,273 |
| Jackson County | 24.5% | 5.9% | 9.3% | $12,275 | $3,372 | $9,659 |
| Jefferson County | 18.8% | 2.1% | 10.6% | $10,358 | $2,530 | $8,505 |
| Juneau County | 28.1% | 4.4% | 15.7% | $13,132 | $3,315 | $10,718 |
| Kenosha County | 17.9% | 0.4% | 10.2% | $10,440 | $2,289 | $8,530 |
| Kewaunee County | 19.9% | 3.6% | 11.5% | $11,473 | $3,408 | $9,863 |
| La Crosse County | 18% | 1.8% | 8.4% | $10,884 | $2,692 | $8,855 |
| Lafayette County | 19.1% | 2.3% | 11.1% | $9,962 | $2,234 | $8,257 |
| Langlade County | 30.7% | 4.7% | 17.3% | $15,600 | $3,932 | $13,245 |
| Lincoln County | 26.7% | 3.1% | 14.1% | $14,171 | $3,407 | $11,835 |
| Manitowoc County | 22.4% | 3.7% | 13.7% | $12,253 | $2,896 | $10,424 |
| Marathon County | 16.7% | 1.1% | 8.4% | $10,023 | $2,106 | $8,346 |
| Marinette County | 29.7% | 4.3% | 16.5% | $15,525 | $3,944 | $13,045 |
| Marquette County | 28.8% | 2.7% | 13.5% | $14,129 | $3,183 | $11,332 |
| Menominee County | 36.6% | 0.2% | 36.6% | $15,176 | $3,302 | $15,176 |
| Milwaukee County | 23.2% | 1.9% | 14.4% | $13,056 | $2,482 | $10,672 |
| Monroe County | 22.3% | 2.9% | 10.7% | $11,153 | $2,923 | $8,886 |
| Oconto County | 21.8% | 2.3% | 9.4% | $11,724 | $2,569 | $9,663 |
| Oneida County | 27% | 3.1% | 13.9% | $15,125 | $2,828 | $12,386 |
| Outagamie County | 15.2% | 2.1% | 8.3% | $9,177 | $2,365 | $7,655 |
| Ozaukee County | 10.2% | 1.3% | 5.9% | $10,217 | $2,641 | $9,013 |
| Pepin County | 24.7% | 2.9% | 12.3% | $14,870 | $3,978 | $12,527 |
| Pierce County | 17.3% | 3.2% | 9.1% | $10,080 | $3,327 | $8,282 |
| Polk County | 24.1% | 3.1% | 11.9% | $13,059 | $3,190 | $10,716 |
| Portage County | 19.8% | 2% | 11.3% | $10,759 | $2,658 | $9,182 |
| Price County | 33.3% | 7.7% | 19% | $17,263 | $5,127 | $14,880 |
| Racine County | 20.7% | 2.8% | 12.8% | $11,909 | $2,808 | $10,011 |
| Richland County | 26.2% | 3.8% | 15.8% | $13,438 | $3,771 | $11,526 |
| Rock County | 21.3% | 1.9% | 13.2% | $11,186 | $2,322 | $9,343 |
| Rusk County | 29.2% | 2.4% | 12.8% | $15,400 | $4,094 | $12,920 |
| St. Croix County | 12.6% | 1.2% | 5.3% | $8,500 | $2,344 | $6,802 |
| Sauk County | 17.8% | 1.1% | 9% | $11,060 | $2,927 | $9,017 |
| Sawyer County | 31.8% | 4.5% | 9.4% | $16,196 | $3,344 | $12,499 |
| Shawano County | 24.4% | 2.3% | 24.4% | $12,311 | $2,818 | $12,311 |
| Sheboygan County | 17.6% | 2.6% | 9.8% | $10,598 | $2,606 | $8,794 |
| Taylor County | 23.1% | 3.4% | 11.1% | $11,576 | $3,234 | $9,704 |
| Trempealeau County | 22.8% | 4% | 9.3% | $11,677 | $2,466 | $9,097 |
| Vernon County | 24% | 3.5% | 10.9% | $12,144 | $3,424 | $9,856 |
| Vilas County | 28.6% | 1.8% | 13.2% | $17,111 | $3,608 | $14,193 |
| Walworth County | 16.7% | 0.5% | 8.4% | $10,491 | $2,739 | $8,635 |
| Washburn County | 32.1% | 4.1% | 13.2% | $17,768 | $4,201 | $14,472 |
| Washington County | 14.7% | 2.7% | 9% | $10,095 | $2,906 | $8,735 |
| Waukesha County | 11.5% | 1.2% | 6.7% | $10,097 | $2,567 | $8,814 |
| Waupaca County | 26% | 3.7% | 12.7% | $14,209 | $3,591 | $11,407 |
| Waushara County | 27.1% | 4.3% | 13.2% | $12,670 | $2,726 | $10,155 |
| Winnebago County | 17.8% | 2.4% | 10.2% | $10,113 | $2,579 | $8,373 |
| Wood County | 25.4% | 5.2% | 16.9% | $13,504 | $3,817 | $11,675 |
Alerts Sign-up