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 Palm Beach County received $18.7 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 11.3% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Florida, government transfer payments totaled $272.9 billion, making up 18.9% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $12,269 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 Palm Beach County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $7.1 billion, amounting to $4,656 per capita, or 37.9% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $6 billion ($3,943 per capita), representing 32.1% of the total. Medicaid contributed $2 billion ($1,294 per capita), making up 10.5% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $1.4 billion ($940 per capita), or 7.6% of the total.
With 25% of the population aged 65 and older, Palm Beach County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Palm Beach County was $96,767, noticeably below the county’s total income of $109,055, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Palm Beach County saw a decrease of 15.4% in per capita government transfers, from $14,678 to $12,289 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 Palm Beach County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 7.92% (or $2,283 per capita) in 1970 to 11.3% (or $12,289 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County | 1 | $22,504 | 32.51% | 57.4% | $1,755,907,000 | $1,067,683,000 | $87,390,000 | $77,952,000 |
| Citrus County | 2 | $17,731 | 39.12% | 36.29% | $1,232,680,000 | $895,878,000 | $250,681,000 | $160,347,000 |
| Charlotte County | 3 | $17,123 | 32.17% | 40.47% | $1,565,862,000 | $1,171,808,000 | $227,762,000 | $142,093,000 |
| Highlands County | 4 | $16,753 | 40% | 36.11% | $669,624,000 | $578,705,000 | $175,839,000 | $141,299,000 |
| Indian River County | 5 | $16,143 | 15.34% | 34.88% | $1,207,446,000 | $863,801,000 | $194,960,000 | $143,354,000 |
| Flagler County | 6 | $15,418 | 25.57% | 31.27% | $853,021,000 | $596,064,000 | $135,799,000 | $109,076,000 |
| Sarasota County | 7 | $15,361 | 18.28% | 37.4% | $3,277,654,000 | $2,371,190,000 | $496,182,000 | $282,022,000 |
| Hernando County | 8 | $15,288 | 32.81% | 26.35% | $1,207,311,000 | $1,013,001,000 | $302,885,000 | $232,887,000 |
| Putnam County | 9 | $15,200 | 38.54% | 23.89% | $381,489,000 | $323,849,000 | $180,285,000 | $131,059,000 |
| Madison County | 10 | $15,073 | 37% | 22.68% | $83,504,000 | $73,705,000 | $51,092,000 | $30,731,000 |
| Jackson County | 11 | $15,032 | 37.89% | 20.71% | $208,262,000 | $176,935,000 | $172,070,000 | $70,931,000 |
| Marion County | 12 | $14,969 | 33.62% | 28.77% | $2,363,273,000 | $1,789,866,000 | $595,321,000 | $490,752,000 |
| Hamilton County | 13 | $14,564 | 42.76% | 20.37% | $56,037,000 | $51,038,000 | $35,831,000 | $22,819,000 |
| Suwannee County | 14 | $14,560 | 34.95% | 21.91% | $215,377,000 | $179,072,000 | $106,754,000 | $67,275,000 |
| Holmes County | 15 | $14,408 | 37.31% | 20.12% | $87,993,000 | $73,677,000 | $49,943,000 | $31,166,000 |
| Levy County | 16 | $14,370 | 32.75% | 25.38% | $236,097,000 | $186,528,000 | $79,633,000 | $62,681,000 |
| Dixie County | 17 | $14,326 | 40.77% | 24.65% | $79,725,000 | $72,527,000 | $36,953,000 | $27,579,000 |
| Martin County | 18 | $14,305 | 12.96% | 32.19% | $1,040,770,000 | $781,901,000 | $165,803,000 | $103,454,000 |
| Gadsden County | 19 | $14,296 | 32.34% | 20% | $189,321,000 | $150,749,000 | $108,799,000 | $90,752,000 |
| Volusia County | 20 | $14,247 | 26.6% | 25.35% | $3,136,420,000 | $2,410,978,000 | $916,092,000 | $627,605,000 |
| Pinellas County | 21 | $14,197 | 20.68% | 26.4% | $5,050,696,000 | $4,250,389,000 | $1,799,384,000 | $876,391,000 |
| Gulf County | 22 | $14,156 | 29.16% | 23% | $78,093,000 | $69,383,000 | $25,061,000 | $15,464,000 |
| Columbia County | 23 | $14,126 | 32.71% | 20.36% | $315,748,000 | $264,444,000 | $154,208,000 | $109,140,000 |
| Lake County | 24 | $13,674 | 26.15% | 26.67% | $2,228,590,000 | $1,738,317,000 | $525,845,000 | $400,570,000 |
| Calhoun County | 25 | $13,559 | 37.36% | 19.21% | $53,166,000 | $48,737,000 | $39,466,000 | $18,923,000 |
| Taylor County | 26 | $13,539 | 36.57% | 21.93% | $100,260,000 | $69,307,000 | $47,475,000 | $35,950,000 |
| Brevard County | 27 | $13,529 | 23.81% | 24.49% | $3,343,125,000 | $2,403,269,000 | $825,621,000 | $583,724,000 |
| Jefferson County | 28 | $13,415 | 27.2% | 24.64% | $70,574,000 | $54,159,000 | $31,684,000 | $18,237,000 |
| Lee County | 29 | $13,391 | 21% | 29.14% | $4,441,109,000 | $3,119,559,000 | $949,403,000 | $772,678,000 |
| Collier County | 30 | $13,205 | 10% | 33.87% | $2,388,531,000 | $1,644,444,000 | $301,506,000 | $279,096,000 |
| Okeechobee County | 31 | $13,125 | 32.41% | 20.9% | $166,885,000 | $163,884,000 | $85,927,000 | $59,905,000 |
| St. Lucie County | 32 | $13,087 | 24.99% | 24.55% | $1,760,187,000 | $1,366,530,000 | $541,611,000 | $399,914,000 |
| Escambia County | 33 | $12,922 | 24.73% | 17.95% | $1,347,710,000 | $1,046,978,000 | $636,978,000 | $417,588,000 |
| Franklin County | 34 | $12,772 | 28% | 27.38% | $61,188,000 | $39,391,000 | $21,269,000 | $14,358,000 |
| Bradford County | 35 | $12,753 | 30.69% | 19% | $108,713,000 | $95,881,000 | $62,083,000 | $38,421,000 |
| Miami-Dade County | 36 | $12,697 | 18.54% | 17.14% | $6,733,319,000 | $9,997,989,000 | $6,477,185,000 | $4,589,755,000 |
| Washington County | 37 | $12,678 | 34.9% | 18.83% | $104,052,000 | $76,463,000 | $59,286,000 | $33,261,000 |
| Nassau County | 38 | $12,626 | 16.52% | 23.78% | $522,318,000 | $336,048,000 | $108,790,000 | $69,447,000 |
| Manatee County | 39 | $12,606 | 21.12% | 28.51% | $2,324,532,000 | $1,709,907,000 | $439,428,000 | $367,048,000 |
| Gilchrist County | 40 | $12,368 | 29.32% | 20.81% | $80,363,000 | $64,171,000 | $35,178,000 | $23,501,000 |
| Bay County | 41 | $12,361 | 22.78% | 18.25% | $743,411,000 | $576,704,000 | $323,262,000 | $201,245,000 |
| DeSoto County | 42 | $12,295 | 37.38% | 23.74% | $140,645,000 | $132,194,000 | $58,108,000 | $50,647,000 |
| Palm Beach County | 43 | $12,289 | 11.27% | 24.96% | $7,069,492,000 | $5,986,906,000 | $1,964,633,000 | $1,426,752,000 |
| Pasco County | 44 | $12,276 | 23.34% | 21.91% | $2,779,281,000 | $2,270,532,000 | $783,501,000 | $591,341,000 |
| Okaloosa County | 45 | $12,181 | 20.31% | 16.57% | $839,415,000 | $608,490,000 | $261,451,000 | $193,050,000 |
| Monroe County | 46 | $11,949 | 10% | 24.7% | $357,089,000 | $263,399,000 | $74,495,000 | $59,368,000 |
| Polk County | 47 | $11,778 | 27.25% | 19.49% | $3,193,364,000 | $2,617,273,000 | $1,115,138,000 | $1,170,655,000 |
| Clay County | 48 | $11,744 | 21.87% | 17.18% | $905,708,000 | $685,148,000 | $263,471,000 | $207,296,000 |
| Hardee County | 49 | $11,290 | 32.29% | 16.78% | $80,510,000 | $78,550,000 | $50,567,000 | $43,739,000 |
| Baker County | 50 | $11,240 | 25.11% | 14.99% | $97,058,000 | $86,736,000 | $50,719,000 | $38,215,000 |
| Santa Rosa County | 51 | $11,194 | 19.49% | 16.68% | $764,437,000 | $546,216,000 | $191,062,000 | $152,499,000 |
| Hendry County | 52 | $11,156 | 28.42% | 13.52% | $112,344,000 | $104,583,000 | $98,409,000 | $77,871,000 |
| Duval County | 53 | $10,827 | 19.28% | 15.32% | $3,275,225,000 | $2,814,220,000 | $1,709,936,000 | $1,335,804,000 |
| Lafayette County | 54 | $10,771 | 31.77% | 19.12% | $28,166,000 | $20,152,000 | $15,682,000 | $8,553,000 |
| Liberty County | 55 | $10,702 | 32.91% | 17.25% | $26,215,000 | $21,292,000 | $14,043,000 | $10,681,000 |
| Broward County | 56 | $10,589 | 16% | 18% | $6,203,983,000 | $5,975,842,000 | $2,736,061,000 | $2,262,721,000 |
| Walton County | 57 | $10,530 | 11.93% | 20.16% | $351,482,000 | $238,428,000 | $78,474,000 | $65,207,000 |
| St. Johns County | 58 | $10,450 | 11.82% | 21% | $1,399,701,000 | $942,497,000 | $200,604,000 | $149,902,000 |
| Hillsborough County | 59 | $10,415 | 17.5% | 15% | $4,745,436,000 | $4,227,787,000 | $2,218,028,000 | $1,899,684,000 |
| Wakulla County | 60 | $10,306 | 21.57% | 16.91% | $134,511,000 | $98,554,000 | $36,905,000 | $33,705,000 |
| Osceola County | 61 | $10,292 | 23.21% | 13.47% | $1,176,276,000 | $1,017,702,000 | $645,669,000 | $631,760,000 |
| Alachua County | 62 | $10,044 | 19.1% | 15.33% | $927,482,000 | $716,237,000 | $498,868,000 | $272,448,000 |
| Seminole County | 63 | $9,554 | 16% | 16.66% | $1,705,684,000 | $1,269,707,000 | $476,938,000 | $420,288,000 |
| Leon County | 64 | $9,483 | 17.48% | 14.78% | $985,200,000 | $635,225,000 | $389,096,000 | $308,622,000 |
| Orange County | 65 | $9,461 | 17% | 13.12% | $3,688,045,000 | $3,360,674,000 | $2,085,547,000 | $1,823,295,000 |
| Glades County | 66 | $9,232 | 29.39% | 26% | $51,965,000 | $25,682,000 | $7,381,000 | $11,932,000 |
| Union County | 67 | $9,074 | 34.19% | 16% | $43,106,000 | $37,617,000 | $21,818,000 | $18,980,000 |
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