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 Wabash County received $502.1 million in government transfers, which accounted for 31.3% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Indiana, government transfer payments totaled $78.9 billion, making up 19.8% of the state 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).
Breaking down the contributions in Wabash County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $166.3 million, amounting to $5,396 per capita, or 33.1% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $115 million ($3,729 per capita), representing 22.9% of the total. Medicaid contributed $146.8 million ($4,763 per capita), making up 29.2% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $37.8 million ($1,227 per capita), or 7.5% of the total.
With 21.9% of the population aged 65 and older, Wabash County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Wabash County was $35,720, far below the county’s total income of $52,006, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Wabash County saw a decrease of 13.8% in per capita government transfers, from $18,856 to $16,286 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 Wabash County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 7.46% (or $1,536 per capita) in 1970 to 31.3% (or $16,286 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 1 | $18,339 | 38.55% | 20.86% | $123,897,000 | $106,812,000 | $134,673,000 | $40,566,000 |
| Jennings County | 2 | $16,385 | 33.32% | 17.13% | $116,722,000 | $78,181,000 | $192,011,000 | $40,828,000 |
| Knox County | 3 | $16,335 | 30.19% | 18.81% | $153,894,000 | $126,647,000 | $207,534,000 | $50,491,000 |
| Wabash County | 4 | $16,286 | 31.32% | 21.93% | $166,340,000 | $114,959,000 | $146,844,000 | $37,830,000 |
| Grant County | 5 | $16,247 | 33.77% | 19.41% | $314,467,000 | $233,664,000 | $319,087,000 | $106,384,000 |
| Wayne County | 6 | $15,769 | 31.81% | 19.56% | $313,294,000 | $267,690,000 | $287,919,000 | $104,848,000 |
| Blackford County | 7 | $15,657 | 35.19% | 22% | $62,239,000 | $51,485,000 | $42,177,000 | $17,588,000 |
| Orange County | 8 | $15,429 | 33.74% | 20.76% | $90,099,000 | $78,832,000 | $87,707,000 | $28,137,000 |
| Jefferson County | 9 | $14,779 | 28.73% | 19.37% | $152,387,000 | $117,580,000 | $145,325,000 | $40,613,000 |
| Cass County | 10 | $14,761 | 31% | 18.84% | $159,277,000 | $128,510,000 | $176,772,000 | $53,584,000 |
| Starke County | 11 | $14,610 | 34.81% | 20.53% | $119,934,000 | $78,699,000 | $84,338,000 | $34,142,000 |
| Randolph County | 12 | $14,595 | 28.37% | 20.56% | $117,464,000 | $93,848,000 | $87,644,000 | $34,285,000 |
| Henry County | 13 | $14,557 | 31.34% | 19.62% | $233,260,000 | $186,373,000 | $184,208,000 | $65,396,000 |
| Vermillion County | 14 | $14,555 | 31.8% | 20.34% | $77,934,000 | $58,367,000 | $51,776,000 | $19,924,000 |
| Crawford County | 15 | $14,532 | 35.11% | 21% | $51,853,000 | $29,278,000 | $41,779,000 | $15,704,000 |
| Greene County | 16 | $14,343 | 28.16% | 20.19% | $141,322,000 | $105,838,000 | $116,823,000 | $40,710,000 |
| Lawrence County | 17 | $14,304 | 27.34% | 20.4% | $214,242,000 | $146,269,000 | $176,504,000 | $58,028,000 |
| Howard County | 18 | $14,280 | 30.13% | 19.92% | $424,941,000 | $306,477,000 | $246,701,000 | $124,292,000 |
| Delaware County | 19 | $14,217 | 31.27% | 17.58% | $483,957,000 | $379,767,000 | $442,337,000 | $162,289,000 |
| Owen County | 20 | $14,183 | 28.71% | 20.95% | $102,979,000 | $71,153,000 | $77,625,000 | $28,389,000 |
| Fountain County | 21 | $14,050 | 27.69% | 20.26% | $82,219,000 | $68,791,000 | $43,674,000 | $20,090,000 |
| Pike County | 22 | $14,046 | 29.49% | 21% | $59,090,000 | $39,448,000 | $45,296,000 | $13,674,000 |
| Brown County | 23 | $13,947 | 23.56% | 26.46% | $91,999,000 | $57,401,000 | $36,626,000 | $15,147,000 |
| Madison County | 24 | $13,933 | 29.98% | 18.74% | $606,139,000 | $481,462,000 | $437,068,000 | $189,594,000 |
| Vigo County | 25 | $13,809 | 30% | 17.3% | $430,905,000 | $340,711,000 | $415,934,000 | $156,402,000 |
| Sullivan County | 26 | $13,749 | 31.88% | 18.88% | $89,123,000 | $70,026,000 | $78,339,000 | $25,508,000 |
| Pulaski County | 27 | $13,695 | 24.9% | 21.58% | $62,734,000 | $46,044,000 | $33,810,000 | $16,427,000 |
| Parke County | 28 | $13,666 | 27.29% | 20.8% | $73,267,000 | $45,523,000 | $69,916,000 | $19,430,000 |
| Rush County | 29 | $13,526 | 24.55% | 19.54% | $75,291,000 | $58,183,000 | $56,211,000 | $21,331,000 |
| Scott County | 30 | $13,476 | 30.47% | 17.15% | $108,277,000 | $74,835,000 | $85,444,000 | $39,491,000 |
| Martin County | 31 | $13,416 | 25.47% | 21.3% | $43,221,000 | $31,563,000 | $32,514,000 | $12,317,000 |
| Vanderburgh County | 32 | $13,408 | 23.7% | 18.2% | $769,627,000 | $578,940,000 | $623,690,000 | $245,537,000 |
| White County | 33 | $13,295 | 25.26% | 21.53% | $119,600,000 | $89,173,000 | $65,753,000 | $28,770,000 |
| Franklin County | 34 | $13,238 | 23.78% | 19.87% | $118,391,000 | $97,089,000 | $46,089,000 | $25,031,000 |
| Clay County | 35 | $13,201 | 29.72% | 19.11% | $122,379,000 | $78,927,000 | $80,742,000 | $36,327,000 |
| Jay County | 36 | $13,193 | 24.47% | 18.64% | $89,481,000 | $70,415,000 | $60,448,000 | $27,144,000 |
| Tipton County | 37 | $13,097 | 25.33% | 21.98% | $78,638,000 | $59,642,000 | $33,922,000 | $15,465,000 |
| Union County | 38 | $12,999 | 26.71% | 21.1% | $29,403,000 | $24,700,000 | $20,669,000 | $9,235,000 |
| Huntington County | 39 | $12,827 | 24.99% | 18.55% | $172,898,000 | $121,556,000 | $93,669,000 | $41,350,000 |
| LaPorte County | 40 | $12,820 | 25.64% | 19.46% | $507,002,000 | $381,904,000 | $285,242,000 | $155,916,000 |
| Shelby County | 41 | $12,813 | 24.45% | 18.69% | $199,806,000 | $147,873,000 | $131,836,000 | $53,099,000 |
| Lake County | 42 | $12,804 | 24.1% | 17.82% | $2,056,738,000 | $1,659,564,000 | $1,437,612,000 | $785,439,000 |
| Perry County | 43 | $12,676 | 28.65% | 19.41% | $87,678,000 | $61,771,000 | $56,514,000 | $20,630,000 |
| Fulton County | 44 | $12,629 | 25.22% | 20.47% | $96,446,000 | $62,369,000 | $50,107,000 | $27,160,000 |
| Washington County | 45 | $12,628 | 25.44% | 18.47% | $120,477,000 | $80,219,000 | $89,302,000 | $38,251,000 |
| Montgomery County | 46 | $12,484 | 25% | 18.83% | $171,910,000 | $124,164,000 | $104,292,000 | $45,958,000 |
| Gibson County | 47 | $12,441 | 22.64% | 18.18% | $144,669,000 | $104,550,000 | $88,572,000 | $34,746,000 |
| Ohio County | 48 | $12,353 | 22.69% | 23.13% | $29,674,000 | $23,300,000 | $11,784,000 | $5,547,000 |
| Steuben County | 49 | $12,312 | 22.53% | 22% | $176,034,000 | $116,075,000 | $58,894,000 | $36,988,000 |
| Harrison County | 50 | $12,273 | 22.64% | 19.43% | $178,876,000 | $134,932,000 | $86,146,000 | $42,725,000 |
| Floyd County | 51 | $12,253 | 20% | 17.55% | $342,178,000 | $242,856,000 | $232,127,000 | $88,886,000 |
| Spencer County | 52 | $12,240 | 22.56% | 20.55% | $94,013,000 | $63,096,000 | $46,002,000 | $20,001,000 |
| Posey County | 53 | $12,235 | 20.68% | 20.91% | $124,911,000 | $74,222,000 | $59,292,000 | $24,090,000 |
| Miami County | 54 | $12,178 | 30.19% | 18.32% | $136,716,000 | $107,008,000 | $88,958,000 | $48,393,000 |
| Jasper County | 55 | $12,155 | 20.91% | 18.88% | $160,993,000 | $124,235,000 | $51,138,000 | $35,610,000 |
| Dearborn County | 56 | $12,138 | 21% | 19.2% | $235,014,000 | $177,290,000 | $114,948,000 | $48,987,000 |
| Morgan County | 57 | $12,041 | 22.44% | 18.29% | $339,819,000 | $222,814,000 | $145,253,000 | $81,297,000 |
| Decatur County | 58 | $12,040 | 23.11% | 17.73% | $115,340,000 | $80,588,000 | $69,008,000 | $31,681,000 |
| Clinton County | 59 | $11,972 | 26% | 16.58% | $132,568,000 | $102,751,000 | $88,013,000 | $44,244,000 |
| DeKalb County | 60 | $11,756 | 21.39% | 17.3% | $190,138,000 | $125,091,000 | $103,151,000 | $49,707,000 |
| Benton County | 61 | $11,739 | 21.8% | 18% | $37,925,000 | $28,420,000 | $16,956,000 | $10,973,000 |
| Newton County | 62 | $11,723 | 22.68% | 20.69% | $63,153,000 | $39,098,000 | $31,335,000 | $16,180,000 |
| Wells County | 63 | $11,690 | 22.77% | 18.83% | $125,157,000 | $90,333,000 | $61,668,000 | $28,919,000 |
| St. Joseph County | 64 | $11,565 | 20.4% | 16.85% | $1,048,270,000 | $694,237,000 | $781,956,000 | $381,639,000 |
| Clark County | 65 | $11,537 | 21.64% | 16.75% | $492,207,000 | $377,036,000 | $303,331,000 | $140,209,000 |
| Warrick County | 66 | $11,527 | 16.89% | 18.68% | $296,709,000 | $200,681,000 | $131,274,000 | $53,799,000 |
| Dubois County | 67 | $11,450 | 17.42% | 18.79% | $194,916,000 | $124,118,000 | $105,888,000 | $38,061,000 |
| Warren County | 68 | $11,418 | 21.37% | 21% | $39,653,000 | $22,232,000 | $19,122,000 | $8,209,000 |
| Whitley County | 69 | $11,402 | 20.66% | 19.27% | $159,055,000 | $107,164,000 | $64,759,000 | $31,670,000 |
| Marshall County | 70 | $11,293 | 21.46% | 18.91% | $198,880,000 | $128,150,000 | $103,374,000 | $53,406,000 |
| Ripley County | 71 | $11,250 | 22.3% | 18.63% | $120,563,000 | $74,661,000 | $73,457,000 | $31,974,000 |
| Switzerland County | 72 | $11,197 | 26.91% | 19.11% | $38,183,000 | $26,300,000 | $26,344,000 | $12,712,000 |
| Daviess County | 73 | $11,152 | 19.15% | 15.98% | $101,583,000 | $77,875,000 | $122,953,000 | $41,420,000 |
| Porter County | 74 | $11,062 | 17.4% | 18.25% | $804,487,000 | $522,344,000 | $297,088,000 | $152,389,000 |
| Marion County | 75 | $11,041 | 16.6% | 13.2% | $3,004,610,000 | $2,277,668,000 | $2,689,074,000 | $1,667,149,000 |
| Allen County | 76 | $11,026 | 19.26% | 15.63% | $1,449,242,000 | $952,972,000 | $1,029,780,000 | $525,817,000 |
| Jackson County | 77 | $10,873 | 22% | 16.69% | $184,174,000 | $121,325,000 | $111,824,000 | $53,992,000 |
| Noble County | 78 | $10,840 | 21.6% | 17.59% | $198,573,000 | $121,106,000 | $95,296,000 | $55,447,000 |
| Putnam County | 79 | $10,787 | 22.81% | 17.45% | $157,845,000 | $102,482,000 | $68,863,000 | $37,143,000 |
| Bartholomew County | 80 | $10,754 | 17.37% | 16.85% | $339,523,000 | $223,342,000 | $182,724,000 | $88,687,000 |
| Kosciusko County | 81 | $10,482 | 18.2% | 18.19% | $343,277,000 | $211,360,000 | $145,149,000 | $83,885,000 |
| Carroll County | 82 | $10,419 | 20.61% | 20.7% | $94,261,000 | $51,795,000 | $30,376,000 | $20,802,000 |
| Hancock County | 83 | $10,283 | 16.7% | 17.11% | $347,538,000 | $232,911,000 | $114,392,000 | $65,607,000 |
| Elkhart County | 84 | $10,251 | 17.5% | 15.43% | $724,219,000 | $501,361,000 | $468,756,000 | $277,125,000 |
| Johnson County | 85 | $9,682 | 16.32% | 15.64% | $632,566,000 | $416,431,000 | $228,812,000 | $157,555,000 |
| Adams County | 86 | $9,501 | 19.53% | 16.37% | $127,886,000 | $83,844,000 | $70,441,000 | $36,273,000 |
| Monroe County | 87 | $9,249 | 17% | 14.76% | $461,098,000 | $265,740,000 | $299,665,000 | $123,152,000 |
| Boone County | 88 | $8,510 | 9.31% | 14.95% | $268,604,000 | $170,022,000 | $89,390,000 | $50,354,000 |
| Tippecanoe County | 89 | $8,165 | 17.23% | 12.26% | $550,963,000 | $369,017,000 | $262,244,000 | $202,697,000 |
| Hendricks County | 90 | $8,144 | 13.52% | 15% | $649,482,000 | $382,388,000 | $154,774,000 | $133,286,000 |
| Lagrange County | 91 | $7,408 | 13.27% | 14.51% | $120,723,000 | $68,857,000 | $49,284,000 | $39,963,000 |
| Hamilton County | 92 | $7,102 | 7.42% | 13.85% | $1,181,441,000 | $689,350,000 | $224,189,000 | $208,290,000 |
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