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 Marion County received $4.9 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 25.8% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Oregon, government transfer payments totaled $53.1 billion, making up 20.1% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $12,514 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 Marion County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $1.3 billion, amounting to $3,707 per capita, or 26.4% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $893.1 million ($2,576 per capita), representing 18.3% of the total. Medicaid contributed $1.8 billion ($5,283 per capita), making up 37.6% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $512.6 million ($1,478 per capita), or 10.5% of the total.
With 16.7% of the population aged 65 and older, Marion County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Marion County was $40,391, far below the county’s total income of $54,440, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Marion County saw a decrease of 15.7% in per capita government transfers, from $16,622 to $14,049 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 Marion County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 10.53% (or $2,365 per capita) in 1970 to 25.8% (or $14,049 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curry County | 1 | $19,520 | 37.57% | 36.45% | $179,202,000 | $122,980,000 | $71,252,000 | $32,658,000 |
| Coos County | 2 | $18,863 | 34.72% | 28% | $394,879,000 | $281,338,000 | $299,551,000 | $113,522,000 |
| Josephine County | 3 | $18,070 | 34.64% | 27.25% | $496,110,000 | $324,654,000 | $446,008,000 | $147,414,000 |
| Douglas County | 4 | $17,552 | 35.5% | 26.55% | $648,181,000 | $409,203,000 | $447,967,000 | $188,501,000 |
| Wheeler County | 5 | $17,204 | 39.95% | 38.12% | $9,455,000 | $6,136,000 | $4,803,000 | $1,658,000 |
| Lincoln County | 6 | $16,711 | 31.24% | 32.13% | $336,830,000 | $222,114,000 | $126,773,000 | $73,116,000 |
| Klamath County | 7 | $16,370 | 34.65% | 22.47% | $332,250,000 | $217,966,000 | $314,597,000 | $133,073,000 |
| Grant County | 8 | $16,346 | 31.9% | 31.61% | $40,922,000 | $30,280,000 | $23,188,000 | $9,976,000 |
| Wallowa County | 9 | $16,286 | 30.9% | 29.42% | $46,224,000 | $31,309,000 | $21,941,000 | $8,692,000 |
| Jefferson County | 10 | $16,175 | 37.31% | 20.13% | $106,935,000 | $94,633,000 | $125,323,000 | $46,144,000 |
| Baker County | 11 | $16,126 | 33.14% | 27.41% | $93,033,000 | $55,732,000 | $63,665,000 | $26,878,000 |
| Sherman County | 12 | $16,040 | 23.78% | 25.89% | $10,115,000 | $7,168,000 | $8,486,000 | $2,369,000 |
| Tillamook County | 13 | $15,976 | 29.24% | 28.19% | $167,157,000 | $110,273,000 | $86,217,000 | $35,428,000 |
| Linn County | 14 | $15,952 | 30.4% | 19.52% | $584,745,000 | $413,328,000 | $700,354,000 | $190,954,000 |
| Harney County | 15 | $15,927 | 31.84% | 26.53% | $36,011,000 | $32,751,000 | $25,512,000 | $11,708,000 |
| Crook County | 16 | $15,745 | 30.32% | 25.52% | $145,536,000 | $100,120,000 | $89,876,000 | $34,457,000 |
| Union County | 17 | $15,689 | 32% | 21.85% | $119,065,000 | $89,406,000 | $102,635,000 | $40,381,000 |
| Lake County | 18 | $15,576 | 33.33% | 25.55% | $40,129,000 | $38,183,000 | $21,925,000 | $12,158,000 |
| Wasco County | 19 | $15,141 | 29% | 21.85% | $121,862,000 | $84,895,000 | $115,464,000 | $40,260,000 |
| Gilliam County | 20 | $15,122 | 21.88% | 30.23% | $10,799,000 | $8,248,000 | $5,603,000 | $2,493,000 |
| Jackson County | 21 | $15,092 | 26.22% | 23.29% | $1,098,384,000 | $717,528,000 | $856,470,000 | $322,169,000 |
| Malheur County | 22 | $14,828 | 38.61% | 17.2% | $109,097,000 | $82,179,000 | $183,375,000 | $64,551,000 |
| Clatsop County | 23 | $14,613 | 27.17% | 25.19% | $216,765,000 | $144,377,000 | $131,450,000 | $52,053,000 |
| Marion County | 24 | $14,049 | 25.81% | 16.73% | $1,285,134,000 | $893,108,000 | $1,831,568,000 | $512,576,000 |
| Lane County | 25 | $13,693 | 24.37% | 21% | $1,735,508,000 | $1,102,811,000 | $1,335,476,000 | $514,476,000 |
| Columbia County | 26 | $13,612 | 25.34% | 20.36% | $256,330,000 | $164,344,000 | $175,157,000 | $62,292,000 |
| Umatilla County | 27 | $13,575 | 27.62% | 16.37% | $269,999,000 | $215,286,000 | $362,773,000 | $124,561,000 |
| Deschutes County | 28 | $12,560 | 17.54% | 21.27% | $970,256,000 | $598,920,000 | $572,328,000 | $182,167,000 |
| Yamhill County | 29 | $12,456 | 22% | 18.82% | $446,954,000 | $295,421,000 | $371,357,000 | $123,365,000 |
| Morrow County | 30 | $12,308 | 22.35% | 16.73% | $41,643,000 | $36,686,000 | $38,060,000 | $18,699,000 |
| Polk County | 31 | $11,691 | 23.25% | 19.11% | $377,008,000 | $242,855,000 | $222,299,000 | $99,290,000 |
| Multnomah County | 32 | $10,688 | 15.28% | 14.85% | $2,440,342,000 | $1,669,262,000 | $2,572,546,000 | $1,038,366,000 |
| Hood River County | 33 | $10,647 | 16.44% | 18.31% | $86,070,000 | $50,934,000 | $68,092,000 | $25,250,000 |
| Clackamas County | 34 | $9,876 | 13.5% | 19.88% | $1,845,972,000 | $1,097,259,000 | $464,760,000 | $354,070,000 |
| Washington County | 35 | $9,311 | 12.69% | 14.83% | $1,895,641,000 | $1,179,485,000 | $1,494,359,000 | $487,102,000 |
| Benton County | 36 | $8,108 | 14.66% | 17.98% | $355,411,000 | $178,460,000 | $61,330,000 | $77,119,000 |
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