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 Polk County received $4.7 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 15% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Iowa, government transfer payments totaled $34.5 billion, making up 17.9% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $10,773 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 Polk County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $1.7 billion, amounting to $3,318 per capita, or 35.2% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $968.8 million ($1,933 per capita), representing 20.5% of the total. Medicaid contributed $1.2 billion ($2,311 per capita), making up 24.6% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $476.2 million ($950 per capita), or 10.1% of the total.
With 14% of the population aged 65 and older, Polk County has a demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Polk County was $53,240, noticeably below the county’s total income of $62,653, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Polk County saw a decrease of 20.2% in per capita government transfers, from $11,873 to $9,413 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 Polk County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 7.15% (or $1,900 per capita) in 1970 to 15% (or $9,413 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringgold County | 1 | $15,253 | 26.6% | 23% | $22,605,000 | $23,577,000 | $12,997,000 | $4,727,000 |
| Adams County | 2 | $15,106 | 22.33% | 24.6% | $17,519,000 | $18,831,000 | $9,727,000 | $4,187,000 |
| Montgomery County | 3 | $14,815 | 29.43% | 22.27% | $51,648,000 | $46,166,000 | $28,639,000 | $11,981,000 |
| Cass County | 4 | $14,767 | 25% | 23.49% | $67,878,000 | $58,317,000 | $38,740,000 | $13,697,000 |
| Fremont County | 5 | $14,565 | 23.29% | 24.4% | $34,166,000 | $28,811,000 | $15,629,000 | $6,465,000 |
| Appanoose County | 6 | $14,476 | 30.3% | 24% | $58,897,000 | $45,349,000 | $38,416,000 | $15,591,000 |
| Union County | 7 | $14,422 | 28.82% | 21.13% | $53,357,000 | $48,077,000 | $35,799,000 | $14,152,000 |
| Page County | 8 | $14,318 | 26.9% | 23.95% | $75,730,000 | $71,108,000 | $38,885,000 | $14,403,000 |
| Monona County | 9 | $14,095 | 23.3% | 24% | $43,541,000 | $35,130,000 | $21,597,000 | $8,583,000 |
| Des Moines County | 10 | $13,973 | 23% | 21.41% | $186,447,000 | $128,658,000 | $110,659,000 | $50,328,000 |
| Greene County | 11 | $13,863 | 22.43% | 23.94% | $45,420,000 | $36,017,000 | $21,774,000 | $8,459,000 |
| Taylor County | 12 | $13,862 | 24% | 22.45% | $27,066,000 | $27,849,000 | $12,798,000 | $6,344,000 |
| Audubon County | 13 | $13,703 | 19.83% | 24.97% | $28,847,000 | $23,488,000 | $12,892,000 | $5,012,000 |
| Clayton County | 14 | $13,690 | 21.22% | 25% | $85,631,000 | $71,442,000 | $37,976,000 | $14,106,000 |
| Fayette County | 15 | $13,683 | 25.98% | 22.92% | $88,923,000 | $73,706,000 | $54,756,000 | $20,510,000 |
| Cerro Gordo County | 16 | $13,655 | 20.15% | 23.71% | $215,845,000 | $152,007,000 | $113,853,000 | $39,232,000 |
| Lee County | 17 | $13,652 | 27.34% | 22% | $161,125,000 | $105,784,000 | $96,194,000 | $40,812,000 |
| Guthrie County | 18 | $13,600 | 20% | 24% | $58,357,000 | $39,695,000 | $24,977,000 | $8,907,000 |
| Wright County | 19 | $13,586 | 19.29% | 22.35% | $57,903,000 | $49,488,000 | $39,383,000 | $11,967,000 |
| Emmet County | 20 | $13,469 | 24.89% | 23.45% | $43,675,000 | $36,633,000 | $19,194,000 | $8,965,000 |
| Shelby County | 21 | $13,397 | 20.13% | 23.56% | $58,259,000 | $47,657,000 | $27,225,000 | $9,793,000 |
| Decatur County | 22 | $13,362 | 30% | 21% | $31,500,000 | $28,042,000 | $21,408,000 | $9,905,000 |
| Jefferson County | 23 | $13,339 | 24.26% | 26.91% | $80,742,000 | $54,387,000 | $39,666,000 | $16,743,000 |
| Kossuth County | 24 | $13,300 | 19.99% | 25.22% | $75,017,000 | $61,722,000 | $29,239,000 | $11,672,000 |
| Van Buren County | 25 | $13,284 | 27.68% | 22.92% | $33,675,000 | $31,923,000 | $15,681,000 | $7,197,000 |
| Floyd County | 26 | $13,242 | 22.35% | 22.61% | $73,762,000 | $55,057,000 | $41,688,000 | $15,561,000 |
| Calhoun County | 27 | $13,175 | 20.5% | 23.62% | $48,639,000 | $41,235,000 | $20,382,000 | $7,978,000 |
| Hardin County | 28 | $13,078 | 18.96% | 23.71% | $80,176,000 | $66,046,000 | $35,622,000 | $15,171,000 |
| Dickinson County | 29 | $13,066 | 17.62% | 28.21% | $109,231,000 | $65,163,000 | $27,728,000 | $11,799,000 |
| Clinton County | 30 | $13,023 | 24.75% | 20.37% | $213,831,000 | $149,880,000 | $131,304,000 | $52,137,000 |
| Wapello County | 31 | $12,990 | 28.37% | 18.57% | $141,837,000 | $110,772,000 | $113,252,000 | $48,311,000 |
| Mills County | 32 | $12,959 | 18.3% | 20.5% | $64,918,000 | $44,164,000 | $41,953,000 | $10,838,000 |
| Keokuk County | 33 | $12,889 | 23.29% | 22.35% | $46,132,000 | $37,089,000 | $23,593,000 | $10,098,000 |
| Lucas County | 34 | $12,808 | 25.99% | 22.16% | $39,608,000 | $29,454,000 | $22,177,000 | $10,151,000 |
| Palo Alto County | 35 | $12,755 | 19.6% | 22.89% | $40,665,000 | $31,440,000 | $22,297,000 | $7,461,000 |
| Jackson County | 36 | $12,656 | 22.79% | 22% | $91,110,000 | $68,125,000 | $44,444,000 | $17,698,000 |
| Sac County | 37 | $12,638 | 16.22% | 24.15% | $48,762,000 | $38,219,000 | $17,453,000 | $7,599,000 |
| Winnebago County | 38 | $12,584 | 22.87% | 22% | $49,510,000 | $39,091,000 | $21,207,000 | $8,664,000 |
| Monroe County | 39 | $12,571 | 22.88% | 20.23% | $33,687,000 | $27,790,000 | $16,476,000 | $7,074,000 |
| Pottawattamie County | 40 | $12,497 | 23.86% | 18.77% | $380,707,000 | $269,521,000 | $267,183,000 | $106,985,000 |
| Cherokee County | 41 | $12,473 | 14.98% | 25% | $58,442,000 | $38,058,000 | $24,898,000 | $8,888,000 |
| Pocahontas County | 42 | $12,435 | 19.59% | 24% | $33,907,000 | $24,794,000 | $14,937,000 | $6,579,000 |
| Butler County | 43 | $12,423 | 20.68% | 23.46% | $73,062,000 | $52,544,000 | $26,900,000 | $10,470,000 |
| Harrison County | 44 | $12,406 | 21.29% | 20% | $63,407,000 | $50,460,000 | $33,427,000 | $12,835,000 |
| Adair County | 45 | $12,370 | 18.28% | 22.56% | $32,778,000 | $29,047,000 | $16,780,000 | $6,794,000 |
| Ida County | 46 | $12,303 | 15.98% | 22.11% | $31,525,000 | $27,280,000 | $14,014,000 | $5,617,000 |
| Humboldt County | 47 | $12,297 | 20.3% | 21.7% | $42,509,000 | $37,051,000 | $19,445,000 | $7,522,000 |
| Chickasaw County | 48 | $12,294 | 13.78% | 22.82% | $55,359,000 | $45,548,000 | $21,671,000 | $8,582,000 |
| Webster County | 49 | $12,228 | 22.85% | 19.7% | $153,497,000 | $108,864,000 | $98,724,000 | $40,104,000 |
| Franklin County | 50 | $12,147 | 18.69% | 22.2% | $45,396,000 | $34,779,000 | $21,084,000 | $8,332,000 |
| Wayne County | 51 | $12,089 | 22.74% | 22.77% | $28,736,000 | $21,300,000 | $14,805,000 | $6,840,000 |
| Marshall County | 52 | $12,085 | 24.79% | 18.34% | $167,711,000 | $104,934,000 | $119,651,000 | $41,990,000 |
| Clay County | 53 | $12,073 | 19.48% | 22.41% | $78,541,000 | $52,810,000 | $37,994,000 | $14,252,000 |
| Hancock County | 54 | $12,013 | 18% | 24% | $49,634,000 | $41,689,000 | $17,660,000 | $7,384,000 |
| Howard County | 55 | $11,986 | 18.98% | 20.43% | $41,477,000 | $34,240,000 | $17,675,000 | $8,275,000 |
| O'Brien County | 56 | $11,958 | 18.41% | 21.53% | $62,545,000 | $46,266,000 | $35,600,000 | $11,344,000 |
| Allamakee County | 57 | $11,955 | 21.73% | 23.36% | $63,726,000 | $42,975,000 | $26,918,000 | $12,756,000 |
| Carroll County | 58 | $11,862 | 18.32% | 21.45% | $92,560,000 | $63,021,000 | $52,457,000 | $16,828,000 |
| Tama County | 59 | $11,840 | 20.44% | 20.72% | $77,068,000 | $50,551,000 | $40,570,000 | $15,314,000 |
| Clarke County | 60 | $11,832 | 24.49% | 19.2% | $38,209,000 | $30,969,000 | $24,847,000 | $9,578,000 |
| Hamilton County | 61 | $11,633 | 18.29% | 20.86% | $66,341,000 | $51,387,000 | $26,696,000 | $11,821,000 |
| Henry County | 62 | $11,630 | 23.21% | 19.78% | $86,590,000 | $61,337,000 | $44,207,000 | $19,641,000 |
| Mitchell County | 63 | $11,594 | 12% | 21.57% | $46,660,000 | $39,696,000 | $17,835,000 | $7,481,000 |
| Washington County | 64 | $11,508 | 14.58% | 20.31% | $100,078,000 | $72,581,000 | $48,326,000 | $17,647,000 |
| Black Hawk County | 65 | $11,318 | 21.17% | 17.76% | $538,737,000 | $333,506,000 | $327,354,000 | $150,451,000 |
| Muscatine County | 66 | $11,296 | 20.8% | 18.25% | $179,125,000 | $112,529,000 | $104,214,000 | $45,063,000 |
| Osceola County | 67 | $11,259 | 17.21% | 23% | $26,217,000 | $19,263,000 | $10,582,000 | $5,664,000 |
| Boone County | 68 | $11,247 | 20.8% | 19.96% | $117,696,000 | $70,948,000 | $58,120,000 | $18,500,000 |
| Louisa County | 69 | $11,229 | 21.21% | 20.31% | $47,459,000 | $31,050,000 | $21,805,000 | $9,161,000 |
| Scott County | 70 | $11,177 | 17.72% | 17.62% | $686,875,000 | $441,861,000 | $427,418,000 | $213,496,000 |
| Winneshiek County | 71 | $11,134 | 18.24% | 23.12% | $91,613,000 | $61,099,000 | $28,148,000 | $11,111,000 |
| Worth County | 72 | $11,130 | 20% | 22.61% | $32,803,000 | $21,284,000 | $12,855,000 | $5,537,000 |
| Crawford County | 73 | $11,087 | 20.26% | 18.36% | $63,395,000 | $47,767,000 | $38,577,000 | $16,042,000 |
| Mahaska County | 74 | $11,039 | 21.51% | 19.17% | $88,186,000 | $59,197,000 | $50,921,000 | $21,571,000 |
| Jasper County | 75 | $11,022 | 21.82% | 19.72% | $167,674,000 | $97,621,000 | $84,078,000 | $32,359,000 |
| Jones County | 76 | $10,902 | 20.35% | 21% | $92,388,000 | $60,939,000 | $38,438,000 | $15,566,000 |
| Dubuque County | 77 | $10,866 | 18% | 19.3% | $419,725,000 | $269,734,000 | $204,219,000 | $84,495,000 |
| Buchanan County | 78 | $10,847 | 18% | 18.68% | $89,194,000 | $60,196,000 | $39,939,000 | $15,622,000 |
| Poweshiek County | 79 | $10,792 | 19.19% | 21.54% | $85,237,000 | $50,433,000 | $31,182,000 | $13,844,000 |
| Woodbury County | 80 | $10,754 | 21% | 15.62% | $362,437,000 | $250,126,000 | $289,463,000 | $128,897,000 |
| Marion County | 81 | $10,706 | 17.93% | 19.45% | $144,576,000 | $92,934,000 | $64,068,000 | $22,111,000 |
| Iowa County | 82 | $10,671 | 17.6% | 19.96% | $74,304,000 | $49,518,000 | $26,176,000 | $10,076,000 |
| Grundy County | 83 | $10,590 | 16.24% | 21.3% | $59,574,000 | $37,811,000 | $17,047,000 | $6,824,000 |
| Benton County | 84 | $10,395 | 14.97% | 19.61% | $113,642,000 | $65,558,000 | $45,983,000 | $17,368,000 |
| Bremer County | 85 | $10,380 | 17.43% | 19.69% | $113,925,000 | $75,615,000 | $35,025,000 | $14,338,000 |
| Linn County | 86 | $10,324 | 16.94% | 17.34% | $905,153,000 | $546,429,000 | $507,126,000 | $196,041,000 |
| Plymouth County | 87 | $10,186 | 15.11% | 19.52% | $106,405,000 | $75,448,000 | $42,364,000 | $16,294,000 |
| Delaware County | 88 | $10,098 | 16.57% | 21.45% | $74,070,000 | $47,538,000 | $29,142,000 | $11,849,000 |
| Buena Vista County | 89 | $10,025 | 18.45% | 16.77% | $67,473,000 | $54,552,000 | $44,419,000 | $21,954,000 |
| Cedar County | 90 | $9,879 | 15.12% | 21.29% | $83,481,000 | $44,363,000 | $27,772,000 | $11,115,000 |
| Madison County | 91 | $9,830 | 16.85% | 17.47% | $68,762,000 | $43,078,000 | $26,002,000 | $11,176,000 |
| Davis County | 92 | $9,666 | 18.69% | 18.41% | $31,463,000 | $26,202,000 | $15,293,000 | $6,728,000 |
| Polk County | 93 | $9,413 | 15% | 13.99% | $1,662,426,000 | $968,841,000 | $1,157,983,000 | $476,168,000 |
| Lyon County | 94 | $9,240 | 12.87% | 18.92% | $42,865,000 | $35,734,000 | $14,961,000 | $8,126,000 |
| Warren County | 95 | $9,127 | 15% | 16.67% | $206,459,000 | $125,387,000 | $79,041,000 | $29,960,000 |
| Sioux County | 96 | $8,560 | 12.71% | 16.42% | $115,828,000 | $92,149,000 | $51,428,000 | $21,051,000 |
| Johnson County | 97 | $7,627 | 12.24% | 13.29% | $465,638,000 | $257,640,000 | $229,018,000 | $113,273,000 |
| Story County | 98 | $7,479 | 15% | 13.37% | $296,022,000 | $178,000,000 | $118,928,000 | $56,535,000 |
| Dallas County | 99 | $6,201 | 7.76% | 12.76% | $292,852,000 | $148,368,000 | $111,325,000 | $46,241,000 |
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