John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
Among all government transfer programs, Income Maintenance was the smallest contributor. Social Security was the largest, totaling $27.04 billion, equating to $3,957 per capita and making up 34.3% of total transfers.
Medicare was the second largest contributor in Indiana in 2022, accounting for $19.17 billion, averaging $2,805 per capita, and represented 24.3% of transfers in the state. Medicaid transfers provided another $17.46 billion, averaging $2,556 per capita and comprising 22.1% of government support, making them the third largest contributors.
Statewide, including all transfer types, government transfer payments totaled $78.88 billion, and accounted for 19.8% of residents’ total income, with an average of $11,545 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).
With 16.8% of the population aged 65 and older, Indiana has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. The total per capita income in Indiana, excluding government transfers was $46,778.3, which is noticeably below the county's total income of $58,323, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Indiana saw an increase in its Income Maintenance transfer dependency by 0.1%, reflecting both rising transfer amounts and stagnating or insufficient other sources of income.
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 Indiana, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 6.9% (or $1,563 per capita) in 1970 to 19.8% (or $11,545 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | Rank | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers (%) | Medicare Transfers (%) | Medicaid Transfers (%) | Income Maintenance Transfers (%) | Per Capita Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 1 | 16.6% | 13.2% | 4.7% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 2.6% | $11,041 |
| Lake County | 2 | 24.1% | 17.8% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.4% | 3% | $12,804 |
| Allen County | 3 | 19.3% | 15.6% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 4.6% | 2.3% | $11,026 |
| St. Joseph County | 4 | 20.4% | 16.9% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 2.5% | $11,565 |
| Hamilton County | 5 | 7.4% | 13.9% | 3.4% | 2% | 0.6% | 0.6% | $7,102 |
| Vanderburgh County | 6 | 23.7% | 18.2% | 7.6% | 5.7% | 6.1% | 2.4% | $13,408 |
| Elkhart County | 7 | 17.5% | 15.4% | 6% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 2.3% | $10,251 |
| Porter County | 8 | 17.4% | 18.3% | 7.2% | 4.7% | 2.7% | 1.4% | $11,062 |
| Madison County | 9 | 30% | 18.7% | 9.9% | 7.9% | 7.1% | 3.1% | $13,933 |
| Johnson County | 10 | 16.3% | 15.6% | 6.4% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.6% | $9,682 |
| Delaware County | 11 | 31.3% | 17.6% | 9.5% | 7.5% | 8.7% | 3.2% | $14,217 |
| Tippecanoe County | 12 | 17.2% | 12.3% | 6.2% | 4.1% | 2.9% | 2.3% | $8,165 |
| Hendricks County | 13 | 13.5% | 15.1% | 5.9% | 3.5% | 1.4% | 1.2% | $8,144 |
| Vigo County | 14 | 30% | 17.3% | 8.8% | 7% | 8.5% | 3.2% | $13,809 |
| Clark County | 15 | 21.6% | 16.8% | 7.4% | 5.7% | 4.6% | 2.1% | $11,537 |
| LaPorte County | 16 | 25.6% | 19.5% | 9.1% | 6.8% | 5.1% | 2.8% | $12,820 |
| Monroe County | 17 | 17% | 14.8% | 6.1% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 1.6% | $9,249 |
| Howard County | 18 | 30.1% | 19.9% | 10.7% | 7.7% | 6.2% | 3.1% | $14,280 |
| Grant County | 19 | 33.8% | 19.4% | 9.9% | 7.4% | 10% | 3.3% | $16,247 |
| Wayne County | 20 | 31.8% | 19.6% | 9.5% | 8.1% | 8.8% | 3.2% | $15,769 |
| Floyd County | 21 | 20.1% | 17.6% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 1.8% | $12,253 |
| Bartholomew County | 22 | 17.4% | 16.9% | 6.6% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 1.7% | $10,754 |
| Morgan County | 23 | 22.4% | 18.3% | 8.8% | 5.7% | 3.7% | 2.1% | $12,041 |
| Hancock County | 24 | 16.7% | 17.1% | 6.8% | 4.6% | 2.2% | 1.3% | $10,283 |
| Kosciusko County | 25 | 18.2% | 18.2% | 7.4% | 4.5% | 3.1% | 1.8% | $10,482 |
| Warrick County | 26 | 16.9% | 18.7% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 3% | 1.2% | $11,527 |
| Henry County | 27 | 31.3% | 19.6% | 10.3% | 8.2% | 8.1% | 2.9% | $14,557 |
| Lawrence County | 28 | 27.3% | 20.4% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 7.5% | 2.5% | $14,304 |
| Boone County | 29 | 9.3% | 15% | 4% | 2.5% | 1.3% | 0.7% | $8,510 |
| Dearborn County | 30 | 21.1% | 19.2% | 8% | 6% | 3.9% | 1.7% | $12,138 |
| Knox County | 31 | 30.2% | 18.8% | 7.9% | 6.5% | 10.7% | 2.6% | $16,335 |
| Shelby County | 32 | 24.5% | 18.7% | 8.5% | 6.3% | 5.6% | 2.3% | $12,813 |
| Cass County | 33 | 31.1% | 18.8% | 8.9% | 7.2% | 9.9% | 3% | $14,761 |
| Marshall County | 34 | 21.5% | 18.9% | 8.2% | 5.3% | 4.2% | 2.2% | $11,293 |
| DeKalb County | 35 | 21.4% | 17.3% | 7.9% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 2.1% | $11,756 |
| Noble County | 36 | 21.6% | 17.6% | 8.4% | 5.1% | 4% | 2.3% | $10,840 |
| Jackson County | 37 | 22% | 16.7% | 8.1% | 5.3% | 4.9% | 2.4% | $10,873 |
| Wabash County | 38 | 31.3% | 21.9% | 10.4% | 7.2% | 9.2% | 2.4% | $16,286 |
| Dubois County | 39 | 17.4% | 18.8% | 6.8% | 4.3% | 3.7% | 1.3% | $11,450 |
| Harrison County | 40 | 22.6% | 19.4% | 8.3% | 6.2% | 4% | 2% | $12,273 |
| Jefferson County | 41 | 28.7% | 19.4% | 9% | 6.9% | 8.6% | 2.4% | $14,779 |
| Montgomery County | 42 | 25% | 18.8% | 9% | 6.5% | 5.5% | 2.4% | $12,484 |
| Huntington County | 43 | 25% | 18.6% | 9.1% | 6.4% | 5% | 2.2% | $12,827 |
| Jennings County | 44 | 33.3% | 17.1% | 8.6% | 5.8% | 14.2% | 3% | $16,385 |
| Greene County | 45 | 28.2% | 20.2% | 8.9% | 6.7% | 7.4% | 2.6% | $14,343 |
| Miami County | 46 | 30.2% | 18.3% | 9.5% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 3.4% | $12,178 |
| Fayette County | 47 | 38.6% | 20.9% | 11.2% | 9.6% | 12.1% | 3.7% | $18,339 |
| Steuben County | 48 | 22.5% | 22% | 9.3% | 6.1% | 3.1% | 1.9% | $12,312 |
| Gibson County | 49 | 22.6% | 18.2% | 8% | 5.8% | 4.9% | 1.9% | $12,441 |
| Jasper County | 50 | 20.9% | 18.9% | 8.3% | 6.4% | 2.6% | 1.8% | $12,155 |
| Putnam County | 51 | 22.8% | 17.5% | 8.9% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 2.1% | $10,787 |
| Whitley County | 52 | 20.7% | 19.3% | 8.3% | 5.6% | 3.4% | 1.7% | $11,402 |
| Clinton County | 53 | 26% | 16.6% | 8.8% | 6.8% | 5.8% | 2.9% | $11,972 |
| Daviess County | 54 | 19.2% | 16% | 5.2% | 4% | 6.3% | 2.1% | $11,152 |
| Randolph County | 55 | 28.4% | 20.6% | 9.3% | 7.5% | 7% | 2.7% | $14,595 |
| Washington County | 56 | 25.4% | 18.5% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 6.4% | 2.7% | $12,628 |
| Clay County | 57 | 29.7% | 19.1% | 10.4% | 6.7% | 6.9% | 3.1% | $13,201 |
| Adams County | 58 | 19.5% | 16.4% | 7.3% | 4.8% | 4% | 2.1% | $9,501 |
| Starke County | 59 | 34.8% | 20.5% | 12.3% | 8.1% | 8.6% | 3.5% | $14,610 |
| Scott County | 60 | 30.5% | 17.2% | 10% | 6.9% | 7.9% | 3.6% | $13,476 |
| Wells County | 61 | 22.8% | 18.8% | 8.6% | 6.2% | 4.2% | 2% | $11,690 |
| Ripley County | 62 | 22.3% | 18.6% | 8.2% | 5.1% | 5% | 2.2% | $11,250 |
| White County | 63 | 25.3% | 21.5% | 9.2% | 6.9% | 5.1% | 2.2% | $13,295 |
| Decatur County | 64 | 23.1% | 17.7% | 8.4% | 5.9% | 5% | 2.3% | $12,040 |
| Posey County | 65 | 20.7% | 20.9% | 8.4% | 5% | 4% | 1.6% | $12,235 |
| Franklin County | 66 | 23.8% | 19.9% | 9.2% | 7.6% | 3.6% | 2% | $13,238 |
| Owen County | 67 | 28.7% | 21% | 9.7% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 2.7% | $14,183 |
| Orange County | 68 | 33.7% | 20.8% | 10% | 8.8% | 9.8% | 3.1% | $15,429 |
| Lagrange County | 69 | 13.3% | 14.5% | 5.3% | 3% | 2.2% | 1.8% | $7,408 |
| Sullivan County | 70 | 31.9% | 18.9% | 10% | 7.9% | 8.8% | 2.9% | $13,749 |
| Jay County | 71 | 24.5% | 18.6% | 8.2% | 6.5% | 5.6% | 2.5% | $13,193 |
| Fulton County | 72 | 25.2% | 20.5% | 9.5% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 2.7% | $12,629 |
| Spencer County | 73 | 22.6% | 20.6% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 4.2% | 1.8% | $12,240 |
| Perry County | 74 | 28.7% | 19.4% | 10.3% | 7.3% | 6.7% | 2.4% | $12,676 |
| Fountain County | 75 | 27.7% | 20.3% | 9.8% | 8.2% | 5.2% | 2.4% | $14,050 |
| Rush County | 76 | 24.6% | 19.5% | 8.2% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 2.3% | $13,526 |
| Vermillion County | 77 | 31.8% | 20.3% | 11% | 8.3% | 7.3% | 2.8% | $14,555 |
| Parke County | 78 | 27.3% | 20.8% | 8.9% | 5.6% | 8.5% | 2.4% | $13,666 |
| Brown County | 79 | 23.6% | 26.5% | 10% | 6.2% | 4% | 1.6% | $13,947 |
| Carroll County | 80 | 20.6% | 20.7% | 9.1% | 5% | 2.9% | 2% | $10,419 |
| Tipton County | 81 | 25.3% | 22% | 9.9% | 7.5% | 4.3% | 1.9% | $13,097 |
| Blackford County | 82 | 35.2% | 22.1% | 11.7% | 9.7% | 8% | 3.3% | $15,657 |
| Pulaski County | 83 | 24.9% | 21.6% | 9.1% | 6.7% | 4.9% | 2.4% | $13,695 |
| Pike County | 84 | 29.5% | 21% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 7.8% | 2.4% | $14,046 |
| Newton County | 85 | 22.7% | 20.7% | 8.8% | 5.5% | 4.4% | 2.3% | $11,723 |
| Crawford County | 86 | 35.1% | 21% | 11.9% | 6.7% | 9.6% | 3.6% | $14,532 |
| Martin County | 87 | 25.5% | 21.3% | 8.4% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 2.4% | $13,416 |
| Switzerland County | 88 | 26.9% | 19.1% | 9.2% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 3.1% | $11,197 |
| Benton County | 89 | 21.8% | 18.1% | 8.1% | 6.1% | 3.6% | 2.3% | $11,739 |
| Warren County | 90 | 21.4% | 21% | 8.8% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 1.8% | $11,418 |
| Union County | 91 | 26.7% | 21.1% | 8.7% | 7.3% | 6.1% | 2.7% | $12,999 |
| Ohio County | 92 | 22.7% | 23.1% | 8.9% | 7% | 3.5% | 1.7% | $12,353 |
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