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 Lincoln County received $350.3 million in government transfers, which accounted for 36.3% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Montana, government transfer payments totaled $12.5 billion, making up 18.3% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $11,163 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 Lincoln County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $135.2 million, amounting to $6,279 per capita, or 38.6% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $82.3 million ($3,822 per capita), representing 23.5% of the total. Medicaid contributed $60 million ($2,787 per capita), making up 17.1% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $22.8 million ($1,060 per capita), or 6.5% of the total.
With 30% of the population aged 65 and older, Lincoln County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Lincoln County was $28,600, far below the county’s total income of $44,876, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Lincoln County saw a decrease of 12.3% in per capita government transfers, from $19,409 to $16,276 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 Lincoln County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 6.58% (or $1,328 per capita) in 1970 to 36.3% (or $16,276 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 1 | $16,276 | 36.27% | 29.95% | $135,162,000 | $82,266,000 | $59,981,000 | $22,813,000 |
| Golden Valley County | 2 | $16,014 | 28.57% | 33.9% | $5,799,000 | $3,727,000 | $1,776,000 | $735,000 |
| Meagher County | 3 | $15,841 | 32% | 32% | $9,974,000 | $9,681,000 | $6,348,000 | $1,713,000 |
| Sanders County | 4 | $15,785 | 35.53% | 32.17% | $81,231,000 | $48,241,000 | $39,998,000 | $12,244,000 |
| Roosevelt County | 5 | $15,249 | 34.87% | 12.32% | $29,280,000 | $27,988,000 | $71,639,000 | $18,351,000 |
| Musselshell County | 6 | $14,849 | 30% | 26.99% | $26,400,000 | $18,234,000 | $17,225,000 | $4,891,000 |
| Deer Lodge County | 7 | $14,843 | 30.96% | 26.67% | $50,669,000 | $37,954,000 | $28,537,000 | $8,019,000 |
| Wheatland County | 8 | $14,834 | 31.8% | 24.63% | $8,792,000 | $9,383,000 | $6,656,000 | $1,744,000 |
| Prairie County | 9 | $14,472 | 27.39% | 36.55% | $6,218,000 | $3,836,000 | $2,926,000 | $852,000 |
| Mineral County | 10 | $14,213 | 30.54% | 28.71% | $29,773,000 | $15,576,000 | $9,854,000 | $5,563,000 |
| Rosebud County | 11 | $14,095 | 26.68% | 17% | $34,083,000 | $21,294,000 | $32,871,000 | $12,270,000 |
| Powell County | 12 | $13,870 | 27.63% | 21.28% | $29,059,000 | $30,605,000 | $22,027,000 | $5,014,000 |
| Big Horn County | 13 | $13,802 | 36.99% | 14% | $34,305,000 | $31,998,000 | $71,275,000 | $24,989,000 |
| Ravalli County | 14 | $13,512 | 22.41% | 26.88% | $258,294,000 | $146,209,000 | $97,100,000 | $36,173,000 |
| Daniels County | 15 | $13,488 | 21% | 26.81% | $8,139,000 | $7,968,000 | $2,855,000 | $857,000 |
| Valley County | 16 | $13,376 | 22.45% | 24.65% | $30,821,000 | $26,275,000 | $21,298,000 | $6,568,000 |
| Lake County | 17 | $13,243 | 27.85% | 24.14% | $144,742,000 | $89,451,000 | $116,812,000 | $35,213,000 |
| Wibaux County | 18 | $13,110 | 28.17% | 25.24% | $4,285,000 | $3,382,000 | $2,644,000 | $604,000 |
| Pondera County | 19 | $13,076 | 21.54% | 22% | $23,247,000 | $18,592,000 | $21,419,000 | $6,681,000 |
| Hill County | 20 | $13,052 | 23.95% | 16.22% | $48,552,000 | $42,316,000 | $59,893,000 | $18,365,000 |
| Sheridan County | 21 | $13,043 | 24.62% | 25.2% | $16,808,000 | $14,905,000 | $6,405,000 | $2,441,000 |
| Glacier County | 22 | $12,995 | 29.19% | 13.2% | $33,577,000 | $24,935,000 | $75,404,000 | $26,166,000 |
| Phillips County | 23 | $12,747 | 28.35% | 23.86% | $17,349,000 | $14,566,000 | $12,439,000 | $3,588,000 |
| Beaverhead County | 24 | $12,638 | 20.74% | 23.85% | $43,836,000 | $31,209,000 | $23,186,000 | $7,176,000 |
| Silver Bow County | 25 | $12,553 | 22.19% | 19.31% | $159,210,000 | $103,237,000 | $102,104,000 | $34,733,000 |
| Stillwater County | 26 | $12,394 | 18.17% | 25% | $49,856,000 | $29,182,000 | $12,947,000 | $4,855,000 |
| Sweet Grass County | 27 | $12,315 | 20.74% | 28.47% | $18,507,000 | $13,457,000 | $5,524,000 | $1,992,000 |
| Teton County | 28 | $12,264 | 20.37% | 23.12% | $27,459,000 | $22,641,000 | $12,984,000 | $4,915,000 |
| Granite County | 29 | $12,167 | 21.54% | 31% | $18,715,000 | $10,406,000 | $5,086,000 | $1,844,000 |
| Liberty County | 30 | $12,102 | 16.46% | 24% | $7,794,000 | $6,921,000 | $4,872,000 | $1,463,000 |
| Fergus County | 31 | $12,067 | 23.58% | 25% | $53,932,000 | $33,492,000 | $25,651,000 | $8,341,000 |
| Cascade County | 32 | $12,031 | 21.1% | 19.72% | $339,512,000 | $221,896,000 | $205,937,000 | $76,458,000 |
| Carbon County | 33 | $11,984 | 17.58% | 27.23% | $56,849,000 | $35,191,000 | $16,052,000 | $6,417,000 |
| Dawson County | 34 | $11,924 | 24% | 21% | $33,603,000 | $24,163,000 | $17,120,000 | $5,843,000 |
| Treasure County | 35 | $11,698 | 22.69% | 31.3% | $3,953,000 | $2,271,000 | $1,255,000 | $558,000 |
| Jefferson County | 36 | $11,698 | 19.39% | 23.29% | $65,186,000 | $33,164,000 | $18,816,000 | $7,034,000 |
| Blaine County | 37 | $11,695 | 31.91% | 16.49% | $18,481,000 | $13,845,000 | $29,865,000 | $8,417,000 |
| Madison County | 38 | $11,584 | 16% | 30.24% | $48,132,000 | $30,160,000 | $9,597,000 | $4,041,000 |
| Park County | 39 | $11,501 | 18.21% | 24.48% | $73,559,000 | $53,311,000 | $32,611,000 | $11,053,000 |
| Judith Basin County | 40 | $11,266 | 21% | 27% | $9,752,000 | $5,226,000 | $2,823,000 | $1,362,000 |
| Flathead County | 41 | $11,245 | 17.82% | 20.85% | $490,968,000 | $284,080,000 | $203,755,000 | $82,306,000 |
| Custer County | 42 | $11,180 | 21.25% | 20.47% | $45,546,000 | $34,388,000 | $27,006,000 | $8,831,000 |
| Carter County | 43 | $10,972 | 26.33% | 28.87% | $5,652,000 | $5,101,000 | $1,989,000 | $699,000 |
| Garfield County | 44 | $10,922 | 24.95% | 25% | $4,580,000 | $3,955,000 | $2,444,000 | $909,000 |
| Lewis and Clark County | 45 | $10,695 | 17.98% | 20.26% | $318,000,000 | $163,730,000 | $125,545,000 | $50,220,000 |
| Yellowstone County | 46 | $10,462 | 16.47% | 18% | $648,255,000 | $402,932,000 | $349,846,000 | $128,505,000 |
| McCone County | 47 | $10,195 | 19.24% | 28.4% | $6,144,000 | $4,965,000 | $2,701,000 | $1,137,000 |
| Missoula County | 48 | $10,099 | 15.83% | 17% | $448,695,000 | $255,440,000 | $244,812,000 | $87,607,000 |
| Broadwater County | 49 | $10,087 | 19.5% | 23.36% | $30,068,000 | $18,191,000 | $11,860,000 | $4,658,000 |
| Fallon County | 50 | $10,047 | 19.94% | 19.25% | $10,859,000 | $10,215,000 | $4,677,000 | $1,625,000 |
| Toole County | 51 | $9,795 | 16.42% | 17.21% | $16,426,000 | $11,669,000 | $10,631,000 | $3,793,000 |
| Chouteau County | 52 | $9,699 | 17.68% | 23% | $22,115,000 | $13,928,000 | $8,288,000 | $4,029,000 |
| Powder River County | 53 | $9,377 | 22.98% | 30.77% | $7,129,000 | $4,237,000 | $1,637,000 | $1,016,000 |
| Petroleum County | 54 | $9,198 | 27% | 29.17% | $1,723,000 | $1,370,000 | $705,000 | $315,000 |
| Richland County | 55 | $9,102 | 14.14% | 16.99% | $37,616,000 | $30,130,000 | $16,867,000 | $6,260,000 |
| Gallatin County | 56 | $6,744 | 8.33% | 13.58% | $343,860,000 | $193,227,000 | $98,193,000 | $47,785,000 |
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