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 Hamilton County received $9.29 billion, equivalent to $11,258 per capita.
For comparison, the average across Ohio was $1.56 billion, or $11,542 per capita.
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 Hamilton County at the time, Social Security transfers made up $2.82 billion, a 30.3% share of the total. Medicare transfers accounted for $2.28 billion (24.5%), while Medicaid contributed $2.36 billion (25.4%). Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $1.15 billion, or 12.4% of the total.
With 16.6% of the population aged 65 and older, Hamilton County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Despite this aid, the total per capita income in Hamilton County, excluding government transfers was $60,508, which is noticeably below the county's total income of $71,767, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Hamilton County saw a decrease in its government transfer dependency by 29.6%.
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 Hamilton County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from virtually none in 1970 to 15.7% (or $11,258 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers (%) | Medicare Transfers (%) | Medicaid Transfers (%) | Income Maintenance Transfers (%) | Per Capita Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallia County | 1 | 37.3% | 20% | 9% | 8.2% | 12.6% | 4.1% | $17,187 |
| Scioto County | 2 | 36.6% | 19% | 7.7% | 9.3% | 11.3% | 4.7% | $16,952 |
| Vinton County | 3 | 36% | 19.1% | 8.8% | 7.6% | 10.8% | 5.3% | $14,610 |
| Adams County | 4 | 36% | 18.7% | 8.6% | 9.9% | 10.4% | 4.4% | $15,634 |
| Monroe County | 5 | 35.3% | 23.7% | 12.4% | 10.2% | 6.7% | 2.8% | $14,906 |
| Jefferson County | 6 | 34.7% | 22.5% | 10.9% | 9.2% | 6.9% | 3.4% | $15,766 |
| Pike County | 7 | 34.6% | 18.6% | 8.6% | 7.2% | 11.4% | 4.4% | $16,025 |
| Meigs County | 8 | 34.6% | 21% | 10% | 8.3% | 8.7% | 4.5% | $14,543 |
| Jackson County | 9 | 34.5% | 17.9% | 9.4% | 8.2% | 9.5% | 4.2% | $14,176 |
| Lawrence County | 10 | 34.3% | 19.5% | 9.2% | 8% | 9.4% | 4% | $16,256 |
| Coshocton County | 11 | 32.5% | 20.1% | 9.9% | 9.5% | 7.4% | 3.2% | $13,720 |
| Ashtabula County | 12 | 32.4% | 20.2% | 9.3% | 8.3% | 8.6% | 3.4% | $15,021 |
| Harrison County | 13 | 32.2% | 22.5% | 10.1% | 9.4% | 7.4% | 2.8% | $14,860 |
| Morgan County | 14 | 31.7% | 22.1% | 9.5% | 7.5% | 8% | 3.4% | $13,673 |
| Guernsey County | 15 | 31.6% | 20.4% | 8.9% | 8.2% | 8.6% | 3% | $15,049 |
| Columbiana County | 16 | 31% | 22% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 6.8% | 3% | $13,984 |
| Hocking County | 17 | 30.9% | 20.2% | 9% | 7.5% | 7.9% | 3.9% | $14,061 |
| Marion County | 18 | 30.7% | 18.7% | 9.5% | 8% | 7.2% | 3.5% | $13,005 |
| Trumbull County | 18 | 30.7% | 22.4% | 10.8% | 8.4% | 6.2% | 3% | $13,980 |
| Crawford County | 20 | 30.5% | 21.5% | 10.1% | 9% | 6.2% | 2.9% | $14,189 |
| Ross County | 21 | 29.9% | 18% | 8.4% | 7.7% | 7.2% | 3.6% | $13,374 |
| Highland County | 22 | 29.8% | 19.3% | 8.7% | 7.7% | 7.4% | 3.3% | $13,134 |
| Noble County | 23 | 29.7% | 29.7% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 6.2% | 2.7% | $9,243 |
| Perry County | 24 | 29.5% | 18.3% | 8.5% | 7.9% | 7.4% | 3.3% | $13,557 |
| Fayette County | 25 | 29.2% | 18.2% | 8.1% | 7.1% | 8.5% | 3.2% | $13,709 |
| Clark County | 26 | 29% | 20.2% | 8.8% | 7.4% | 7.2% | 3.2% | $13,682 |
| Belmont County | 27 | 29% | 21.9% | 9.7% | 7.5% | 6.7% | 2.5% | $13,518 |
| Brown County | 28 | 28.8% | 19.3% | 9.1% | 8% | 6.7% | 2.8% | $13,203 |
| Richland County | 29 | 28.6% | 20.1% | 9.5% | 8% | 5.8% | 3% | $12,851 |
| Muskingum County | 30 | 28.5% | 18.6% | 8.5% | 8.2% | 6.1% | 3.4% | $14,024 |
| Seneca County | 31 | 28.4% | 19.3% | 8.8% | 7.8% | 7.1% | 2.4% | $13,528 |
| Mahoning County | 32 | 28.3% | 22.5% | 9% | 7.3% | 6.6% | 3.2% | $14,659 |
| Hardin County | 33 | 28.2% | 16.2% | 9.4% | 8.3% | 5.1% | 2.7% | $11,260 |
| Athens County | 34 | 27.8% | 15.3% | 6.3% | 7.1% | 6.7% | 3.7% | $11,651 |
| Washington County | 35 | 27.1% | 22.4% | 9.3% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 2.3% | $13,835 |
| Sandusky County | 36 | 26.4% | 20.3% | 9.3% | 7.5% | 5.5% | 2.1% | $12,812 |
| Allen County | 37 | 26.1% | 19% | 8.2% | 7.7% | 5.4% | 2.7% | $13,103 |
| Defiance County | 38 | 25.9% | 20% | 9.8% | 7.3% | 4.5% | 2.1% | $12,245 |
| Carroll County | 39 | 25.8% | 22.5% | 9.9% | 5.8% | 6.1% | 2.2% | $12,226 |
| Huron County | 40 | 25.6% | 18.5% | 8.6% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 2.6% | $12,188 |
| Preble County | 41 | 25.2% | 20.2% | 8.9% | 7.2% | 5.2% | 2.1% | $12,257 |
| Logan County | 42 | 24.9% | 19.4% | 8.9% | 7.5% | 4.3% | 2.2% | $12,106 |
| Clinton County | 43 | 24.7% | 18.8% | 7.9% | 6.9% | 5% | 2.6% | $12,363 |
| Williams County | 43 | 24.7% | 20.3% | 9.1% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 2.2% | $12,116 |
| Ashland County | 45 | 24.7% | 20.5% | 8.9% | 6.7% | 4.4% | 1.9% | $11,630 |
| Knox County | 46 | 24.5% | 19.3% | 7.6% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 1.9% | $12,537 |
| Lucas County | 47 | 24.5% | 17.6% | 7% | 5.7% | 6.8% | 3.2% | $13,095 |
| Paulding County | 48 | 24.4% | 19.8% | 9.1% | 7.1% | 4.2% | 2.1% | $11,871 |
| Ottawa County | 49 | 23.8% | 27.3% | 9.3% | 6.9% | 4.1% | 1.3% | $14,894 |
| Stark County | 50 | 23.4% | 20.5% | 8.2% | 6.1% | 4.8% | 2.4% | $12,543 |
| Champaign County | 51 | 23.4% | 19.4% | 8.3% | 6.3% | 4.8% | 2.1% | $11,419 |
| Henry County | 52 | 23.2% | 19.7% | 8.5% | 6.6% | 4.9% | 1.5% | $12,136 |
| Erie County | 53 | 22.9% | 23.7% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 3.8% | 2% | $13,503 |
| Montgomery County | 54 | 22.9% | 18.6% | 7% | 5.8% | 5.1% | 2.7% | $12,604 |
| Van Wert County | 55 | 22.7% | 20.2% | 8.7% | 5.9% | 4.4% | 1.9% | $11,259 |
| Morrow County | 56 | 22.6% | 19% | 8.2% | 5.3% | 5% | 2.1% | $10,783 |
| Tuscarawas County | 56 | 22.6% | 20.2% | 7.9% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 2.1% | $11,729 |
| Darke County | 58 | 22% | 20.5% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 1.7% | $11,569 |
| Fulton County | 59 | 21.5% | 19.6% | 8.3% | 6.3% | 3.4% | 1.6% | $11,327 |
| Lorain County | 60 | 21% | 19.9% | 7.7% | 5.8% | 3.7% | 2.1% | $11,662 |
| Wyandot County | 61 | 21% | 20.9% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.6% | 1.5% | $11,633 |
| Pickaway County | 62 | 20.4% | 16.3% | 6.7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 2% | $10,388 |
| Cuyahoga County | 63 | 20.3% | 19.5% | 6% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 2.6% | $12,861 |
| Madison County | 64 | 20.2% | 16.6% | 6.5% | 6.6% | 3.6% | 1.8% | $10,548 |
| Shelby County | 65 | 20.2% | 18% | 7.6% | 5.6% | 3.6% | 1.8% | $10,474 |
| Portage County | 66 | 20% | 18.2% | 7.2% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 1.6% | $10,695 |
| Auglaize County | 67 | 19.5% | 19.6% | 7.4% | 6% | 3.2% | 1.4% | $10,909 |
| Lake County | 68 | 19.5% | 21.7% | 7.9% | 5.6% | 3% | 1.3% | $11,659 |
| Miami County | 69 | 19.4% | 19.4% | 7.4% | 5.4% | 3.2% | 1.5% | $10,869 |
| Wayne County | 70 | 19.1% | 19% | 7.1% | 5.2% | 3.6% | 1.7% | $10,169 |
| Summit County | 71 | 19% | 19.5% | 6.5% | 4.9% | 4.1% | 2.1% | $11,799 |
| Licking County | 72 | 18.6% | 17.4% | 6.6% | 4.7% | 3.7% | 1.8% | $10,378 |
| Butler County | 73 | 18.6% | 15.9% | 6.3% | 4.9% | 3.8% | 2% | $10,368 |
| Hancock County | 74 | 18.1% | 18.4% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 1.5% | $10,277 |
| Clermont County | 75 | 18% | 18.4% | 6.5% | 5.5% | 3.2% | 1.4% | $11,256 |
| Fairfield County | 75 | 18% | 16.6% | 6.2% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 1.8% | $9,911 |
| Greene County | 77 | 17.7% | 18.6% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 1.3% | $10,767 |
| Putnam County | 78 | 17.3% | 18.7% | 6.7% | 5.4% | 2.7% | 1.1% | $10,275 |
| Wood County | 79 | 16.6% | 16.6% | 6.3% | 4.5% | 2.6% | 1.2% | $9,288 |
| Mercer County | 80 | 16.4% | 19.3% | 6.5% | 5% | 2.3% | 1.2% | $10,108 |
| Franklin County | 81 | 16% | 13.1% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 4.4% | 2.4% | $9,516 |
| Hamilton County | 82 | 15.7% | 16.6% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 4% | 1.9% | $11,258 |
| Medina County | 83 | 15.2% | 19.7% | 6.6% | 4.5% | 2% | 0.8% | $10,011 |
| Geauga County | 84 | 11.8% | 22.3% | 5.5% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 0.5% | $9,846 |
| Holmes County | 85 | 11.4% | 14.5% | 3.5% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 1.1% | $6,422 |
| Warren County | 86 | 11.3% | 15.7% | 4.6% | 3% | 1.8% | 0.7% | $8,287 |
| Union County | 87 | 10% | 13.5% | 4% | 2.6% | 1.5% | 0.8% | $6,954 |
| Delaware County | 88 | 8% | 15% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 0.9% | 0.4% | $7,065 |
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