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 Summers County received $223.1 million in government transfers, which accounted for 44.1% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in West Virginia, government transfer payments totaled $25.7 billion, making up 28.9% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $14,450 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 Summers County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $58.8 million, amounting to $4,996 per capita, or 26.3% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $42.2 million ($3,585 per capita), representing 18.9% of the total. Medicaid contributed $70.2 million ($5,967 per capita), making up 31.5% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $22.3 million ($1,892 per capita), or 10% of the total.
With 27.6% of the population aged 65 and older, Summers County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Summers County was $24,058, far below the county’s total income of $43,026, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Summers County saw a decrease of 13% in per capita government transfers, from $21,571 to $18,968 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 Summers County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 25.44% (or $3,253 per capita) in 1970 to 44.1% (or $18,968 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County | 1 | $21,511 | 42.38% | 27.86% | $46,019,000 | $36,725,000 | $59,146,000 | $11,874,000 |
| Logan County | 2 | $19,796 | 46.79% | 22.38% | $184,024,000 | $133,870,000 | $171,005,000 | $69,802,000 |
| Pendleton County | 3 | $19,061 | 35% | 29.21% | $40,367,000 | $31,004,000 | $22,719,000 | $8,871,000 |
| Summers County | 4 | $18,968 | 44% | 27.59% | $58,767,000 | $42,163,000 | $70,182,000 | $22,259,000 |
| Mingo County | 5 | $18,656 | 50.91% | 21.37% | $132,679,000 | $97,796,000 | $82,091,000 | $63,594,000 |
| McDowell County | 6 | $18,542 | 54% | 22.62% | $99,895,000 | $78,829,000 | $62,932,000 | $59,177,000 |
| Mercer County | 7 | $18,194 | 40.64% | 22.78% | $299,150,000 | $215,392,000 | $285,559,000 | $127,194,000 |
| Calhoun County | 8 | $17,834 | 43.78% | 26.63% | $36,051,000 | $27,245,000 | $21,235,000 | $13,421,000 |
| Wetzel County | 9 | $17,800 | 39.31% | 22.91% | $76,682,000 | $63,438,000 | $61,634,000 | $26,064,000 |
| Greenbrier County | 10 | $17,504 | 37% | 24.76% | $182,052,000 | $133,821,000 | $130,803,000 | $51,183,000 |
| Fayette County | 11 | $17,468 | 38.98% | 23.13% | $210,856,000 | $140,688,000 | $173,470,000 | $78,812,000 |
| Tucker County | 12 | $17,320 | 31.4% | 28.14% | $37,361,000 | $25,261,000 | $32,218,000 | $8,436,000 |
| Boone County | 13 | $17,114 | 41.46% | 22.38% | $124,633,000 | $92,680,000 | $58,206,000 | $43,317,000 |
| Pleasants County | 14 | $17,078 | 34.71% | 18.93% | $36,787,000 | $25,941,000 | $49,955,000 | $8,779,000 |
| Grant County | 15 | $17,048 | 36.8% | 25.19% | $61,474,000 | $52,615,000 | $42,180,000 | $16,257,000 |
| Raleigh County | 16 | $16,937 | 35% | 22% | $402,239,000 | $282,084,000 | $269,945,000 | $124,477,000 |
| Nicholas County | 17 | $16,739 | 41.23% | 23.86% | $142,471,000 | $95,119,000 | $74,784,000 | $44,784,000 |
| Kanawha County | 18 | $16,509 | 28.87% | 22% | $938,439,000 | $648,098,000 | $783,031,000 | $276,174,000 |
| Randolph County | 19 | $16,435 | 36% | 22.48% | $130,645,000 | $96,978,000 | $137,465,000 | $43,798,000 |
| Webster County | 20 | $16,400 | 50.31% | 25.53% | $44,309,000 | $35,930,000 | $19,025,000 | $20,401,000 |
| Ritchie County | 21 | $16,384 | 29.87% | 23.35% | $49,923,000 | $31,928,000 | $23,946,000 | $14,895,000 |
| Braxton County | 22 | $16,125 | 40.23% | 24.68% | $65,991,000 | $44,604,000 | $38,198,000 | $24,393,000 |
| Ohio County | 23 | $15,888 | 23.82% | 22.82% | $221,584,000 | $152,545,000 | $176,610,000 | $56,783,000 |
| Mason County | 24 | $15,717 | 37.32% | 22.66% | $132,541,000 | $97,018,000 | $81,313,000 | $45,951,000 |
| Clay County | 25 | $15,607 | 40.59% | 22.55% | $45,183,000 | $33,882,000 | $9,776,000 | $20,546,000 |
| Wyoming County | 26 | $15,579 | 44.28% | 23.38% | $120,067,000 | $77,930,000 | $37,856,000 | $43,802,000 |
| Hancock County | 27 | $15,528 | 30.55% | 24.42% | $165,611,000 | $132,279,000 | $67,916,000 | $40,799,000 |
| Roane County | 28 | $15,122 | 38.72% | 23.56% | $73,749,000 | $47,790,000 | $40,749,000 | $27,345,000 |
| Wood County | 29 | $14,891 | 25.53% | 21.48% | $422,870,000 | $327,071,000 | $231,109,000 | $140,377,000 |
| Mineral County | 30 | $14,820 | 30.36% | 22.67% | $130,333,000 | $113,545,000 | $64,802,000 | $37,139,000 |
| Cabell County | 31 | $14,625 | 28.61% | 19.82% | $399,744,000 | $296,616,000 | $335,465,000 | $159,660,000 |
| Tyler County | 32 | $14,494 | 25.68% | 24.38% | $47,403,000 | $33,442,000 | $15,071,000 | $12,357,000 |
| Wirt County | 33 | $14,278 | 36% | 23.1% | $29,853,000 | $21,564,000 | $2,527,000 | $10,711,000 |
| Morgan County | 34 | $14,178 | 31.43% | 25.1% | $93,932,000 | $54,423,000 | $46,303,000 | $23,700,000 |
| Barbour County | 35 | $14,169 | 35% | 20.95% | $70,294,000 | $54,807,000 | $41,490,000 | $26,836,000 |
| Harrison County | 36 | $14,167 | 23.99% | 20.52% | $306,148,000 | $218,754,000 | $186,989,000 | $97,735,000 |
| Marion County | 37 | $14,041 | 28.66% | 20.18% | $272,842,000 | $213,208,000 | $117,311,000 | $77,216,000 |
| Jackson County | 38 | $13,990 | 30.77% | 21.43% | $144,367,000 | $98,282,000 | $61,635,000 | $45,747,000 |
| Monroe County | 39 | $13,984 | 34.63% | 25.88% | $70,120,000 | $42,648,000 | $9,586,000 | $17,463,000 |
| Brooke County | 40 | $13,835 | 27.49% | 25.18% | $122,474,000 | $76,907,000 | $49,059,000 | $26,675,000 |
| Marshall County | 41 | $13,753 | 28.2% | 23.97% | $144,828,000 | $101,561,000 | $82,510,000 | $43,570,000 |
| Lewis County | 42 | $13,693 | 31.38% | 21% | $80,449,000 | $62,125,000 | $34,291,000 | $29,490,000 |
| Lincoln County | 43 | $13,518 | 36.77% | 21.17% | $96,764,000 | $75,524,000 | $16,654,000 | $46,760,000 |
| Upshur County | 44 | $13,263 | 32.17% | 21.79% | $112,207,000 | $80,459,000 | $45,555,000 | $37,009,000 |
| Wayne County | 45 | $12,895 | 30.76% | 22.58% | $181,254,000 | $149,624,000 | $14,450,000 | $72,537,000 |
| Taylor County | 46 | $12,820 | 26% | 21.41% | $70,793,000 | $49,294,000 | $37,808,000 | $23,578,000 |
| Gilmer County | 47 | $12,721 | 35.92% | 18.47% | $25,698,000 | $20,150,000 | $25,606,000 | $9,593,000 |
| Hampshire County | 48 | $12,570 | 27.15% | 24.22% | $114,902,000 | $83,786,000 | $26,890,000 | $36,246,000 |
| Preston County | 49 | $12,288 | 28.97% | 20.45% | $152,289,000 | $112,097,000 | $61,294,000 | $42,402,000 |
| Putnam County | 50 | $11,247 | 20.15% | 19.83% | $277,408,000 | $165,484,000 | $62,980,000 | $57,015,000 |
| Hardy County | 51 | $11,236 | 25.66% | 23.38% | $66,839,000 | $44,443,000 | $7,930,000 | $21,466,000 |
| Jefferson County | 52 | $10,972 | 17.3% | 17.55% | $236,615,000 | $154,520,000 | $45,519,000 | $60,908,000 |
| Monongalia County | 53 | $9,567 | 17.33% | 13.55% | $306,522,000 | $203,091,000 | $294,001,000 | $84,458,000 |
| Berkeley County | 54 | $9,422 | 18% | 15.22% | $466,219,000 | $294,173,000 | $84,142,000 | $161,857,000 |
| Doddridge County | 55 | $8,577 | 21.94% | 22% | $31,610,000 | $13,376,000 | $1,648,000 | $10,303,000 |
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