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 Essex County received $517.2 million in government transfers, which accounted for 26.2% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in New York, government transfer payments totaled $264.9 billion, making up 17.9% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $13,463 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 Essex County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $189 million, amounting to $5,120 per capita, or 36.5% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $110.1 million ($2,984 per capita), representing 21.3% of the total. Medicaid contributed $137 million ($3,712 per capita), making up 26.5% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $43.8 million ($1,187 per capita), or 8.5% of the total.
With 26.5% of the population aged 65 and older, Essex County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Essex County was $39,544, far below the county’s total income of $53,558, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Essex County saw a decrease of 18.9% in per capita government transfers, from $17,109 to $14,014 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 Essex County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 13% (or $2,574 per capita) in 1970 to 26.2% (or $14,014 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York County | 1 | $15,557 | 8.33% | 18.44% | $5,205,027,000 | $4,904,087,000 | $9,676,136,000 | $3,153,534,000 |
| Richmond County | 2 | $15,541 | 24.88% | 17.25% | $1,840,672,000 | $1,543,559,000 | $2,885,810,000 | $1,024,726,000 |
| Bronx County | 3 | $15,252 | 37.48% | 14.63% | $3,150,592,000 | $4,354,103,000 | $8,642,754,000 | $3,981,197,000 |
| Montgomery County | 4 | $15,025 | 32% | 19.21% | $234,572,000 | $166,198,000 | $211,010,000 | $93,356,000 |
| Sullivan County | 5 | $14,926 | 27.41% | 19.24% | $342,104,000 | $258,838,000 | $389,263,000 | $139,275,000 |
| Fulton County | 6 | $14,858 | 29.6% | 20.85% | $254,636,000 | $162,537,000 | $229,793,000 | $93,758,000 |
| Queens County | 7 | $14,646 | 26.99% | 18% | $6,064,921,000 | $6,747,218,000 | $14,145,827,000 | $4,932,526,000 |
| Schuyler County | 8 | $14,459 | 29.6% | 23.29% | $95,388,000 | $60,494,000 | $56,100,000 | $25,901,000 |
| Chautauqua County | 9 | $14,352 | 31% | 21.44% | $607,436,000 | $364,768,000 | $452,989,000 | $254,521,000 |
| Chemung County | 10 | $14,332 | 27.76% | 20.44% | $394,223,000 | $255,557,000 | $289,838,000 | $146,514,000 |
| Kings County | 11 | $14,305 | 23.78% | 15.62% | $5,656,781,000 | $7,612,838,000 | $15,987,850,000 | $6,190,551,000 |
| Chenango County | 12 | $14,058 | 28.52% | 22.1% | $232,614,000 | $154,796,000 | $145,329,000 | $77,344,000 |
| Essex County | 13 | $14,014 | 26.17% | 26.51% | $188,990,000 | $110,129,000 | $136,998,000 | $43,802,000 |
| Herkimer County | 14 | $13,978 | 28.33% | 22% | $282,372,000 | $182,728,000 | $220,272,000 | $95,517,000 |
| Columbia County | 15 | $13,942 | 20.15% | 26.31% | $328,787,000 | $192,733,000 | $208,520,000 | $74,714,000 |
| Franklin County | 16 | $13,814 | 28% | 19.75% | $213,704,000 | $136,031,000 | $166,273,000 | $79,596,000 |
| Oneida County | 17 | $13,733 | 26.59% | 19.81% | $1,013,863,000 | $654,666,000 | $829,991,000 | $431,323,000 |
| Cattaraugus County | 18 | $13,733 | 30.13% | 20.63% | $354,295,000 | $228,598,000 | $247,108,000 | $132,847,000 |
| Warren County | 19 | $13,730 | 22.6% | 24.15% | $374,112,000 | $207,763,000 | $171,806,000 | $81,486,000 |
| Hamilton County | 20 | $13,701 | 25.29% | 33.76% | $31,799,000 | $17,625,000 | $12,114,000 | $4,466,000 |
| Delaware County | 21 | $13,684 | 29.81% | 26.3% | $227,596,000 | $156,249,000 | $136,939,000 | $57,042,000 |
| Clinton County | 22 | $13,619 | 26.63% | 19.19% | $374,039,000 | $251,878,000 | $234,260,000 | $126,743,000 |
| Ulster County | 23 | $13,560 | 21.78% | 21.25% | $858,585,000 | $616,567,000 | $642,862,000 | $226,095,000 |
| Steuben County | 24 | $13,523 | 24.93% | 20.84% | $434,690,000 | $266,858,000 | $281,900,000 | $150,760,000 |
| Greene County | 25 | $13,447 | 23.9% | 24.23% | $244,818,000 | $155,129,000 | $140,660,000 | $60,351,000 |
| Niagara County | 26 | $13,421 | 25.94% | 20.73% | $1,043,558,000 | $643,805,000 | $620,786,000 | $316,896,000 |
| Orleans County | 27 | $13,286 | 29.27% | 20.23% | $186,823,000 | $123,406,000 | $111,995,000 | $64,803,000 |
| Wayne County | 28 | $13,134 | 24.4% | 20.76% | $459,929,000 | $285,129,000 | $258,566,000 | $117,971,000 |
| Monroe County | 29 | $13,098 | 22% | 18.71% | $3,355,911,000 | $2,139,372,000 | $2,493,378,000 | $1,274,836,000 |
| Oswego County | 30 | $12,933 | 27.36% | 17.9% | $536,038,000 | $349,365,000 | $346,816,000 | $197,718,000 |
| St. Lawrence County | 31 | $12,920 | 29.15% | 18.82% | $464,202,000 | $310,265,000 | $344,723,000 | $164,485,000 |
| Schenectady County | 32 | $12,679 | 22.17% | 17.87% | $646,472,000 | $436,629,000 | $568,973,000 | $258,549,000 |
| Seneca County | 33 | $12,673 | 27.19% | 21.66% | $155,256,000 | $93,581,000 | $95,882,000 | $45,237,000 |
| Broome County | 34 | $12,651 | 25.91% | 20.2% | $879,856,000 | $549,774,000 | $588,481,000 | $331,071,000 |
| Cayuga County | 35 | $12,644 | 24.45% | 21.41% | $340,991,000 | $224,447,000 | $206,644,000 | $112,042,000 |
| Washington County | 36 | $12,641 | 26.52% | 21.55% | $281,123,000 | $171,479,000 | $178,006,000 | $85,460,000 |
| Erie County | 37 | $12,596 | 21.92% | 19.28% | $4,092,923,000 | $2,606,673,000 | $2,783,899,000 | $1,568,151,000 |
| Tioga County | 38 | $12,527 | 24.65% | 22.13% | $237,205,000 | $135,617,000 | $117,793,000 | $66,532,000 |
| Otsego County | 39 | $12,512 | 25.22% | 21.28% | $275,369,000 | $193,164,000 | $165,634,000 | $71,342,000 |
| Allegany County | 40 | $12,485 | 30.23% | 20.34% | $203,899,000 | $124,960,000 | $131,479,000 | $69,952,000 |
| Suffolk County | 41 | $12,478 | 14.82% | 17.88% | $6,615,260,000 | $5,330,609,000 | $4,273,395,000 | $1,583,818,000 |
| Onondaga County | 42 | $12,460 | 20.62% | 18.66% | $2,000,322,000 | $1,242,668,000 | $1,436,233,000 | $764,871,000 |
| Yates County | 43 | $12,422 | 25.17% | 22.37% | $117,665,000 | $67,035,000 | $65,616,000 | $29,702,000 |
| Ontario County | 44 | $12,420 | 20% | 22.18% | $570,165,000 | $314,746,000 | $277,016,000 | $127,831,000 |
| Schoharie County | 45 | $12,403 | 25% | 23.79% | $148,107,000 | $77,033,000 | $82,200,000 | $39,838,000 |
| Madison County | 46 | $12,262 | 21.93% | 20.51% | $301,283,000 | $201,539,000 | $178,545,000 | $79,982,000 |
| Genesee County | 47 | $12,207 | 24.78% | 20.2% | $271,735,000 | $168,656,000 | $133,304,000 | $67,634,000 |
| Albany County | 48 | $12,164 | 16.63% | 18.26% | $1,275,573,000 | $726,268,000 | $852,914,000 | $399,518,000 |
| Dutchess County | 49 | $12,107 | 17.68% | 19.11% | $1,337,815,000 | $932,925,000 | $795,635,000 | $281,222,000 |
| Nassau County | 50 | $11,969 | 11.99% | 18.66% | $5,957,770,000 | $4,699,176,000 | $3,766,520,000 | $1,078,920,000 |
| Rensselaer County | 51 | $11,945 | 21.34% | 18.49% | $683,841,000 | $400,930,000 | $474,473,000 | $200,709,000 |
| Livingston County | 52 | $11,944 | 23.76% | 20.14% | $292,996,000 | $159,871,000 | $156,170,000 | $74,387,000 |
| Rockland County | 53 | $11,940 | 17.59% | 15.7% | $1,208,803,000 | $915,644,000 | $1,241,687,000 | $456,782,000 |
| Cortland County | 54 | $11,807 | 24.78% | 17.26% | $183,923,000 | $116,356,000 | $140,151,000 | $70,057,000 |
| Westchester County | 55 | $11,751 | 9.47% | 18.22% | $3,906,246,000 | $2,894,061,000 | $3,112,970,000 | $1,044,329,000 |
| Lewis County | 56 | $11,670 | 21.63% | 20.47% | $107,249,000 | $67,886,000 | $72,986,000 | $36,193,000 |
| Wyoming County | 57 | $11,617 | 23.12% | 20.39% | $181,034,000 | $114,230,000 | $87,649,000 | $42,224,000 |
| Jefferson County | 58 | $11,568 | 22.35% | 15.2% | $404,322,000 | $279,335,000 | $272,115,000 | $190,043,000 |
| Orange County | 59 | $11,030 | 18.97% | 14.64% | $1,402,751,000 | $982,973,000 | $1,223,666,000 | $513,723,000 |
| Putnam County | 60 | $10,796 | 13.44% | 19.11% | $453,393,000 | $282,570,000 | $183,954,000 | $57,057,000 |
| Saratoga County | 61 | $10,389 | 13.85% | 19.91% | $1,102,484,000 | $576,992,000 | $413,431,000 | $190,322,000 |
| Tompkins County | 62 | $8,839 | 17.27% | 16.25% | $359,058,000 | $195,113,000 | $184,177,000 | $102,015,000 |
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