In 2022, Washington County ranked sixth highest per capita recipient of government transfers in Idaho, with residents receiving $13,714 per capita from programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and income maintenance, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.
In total, residents in Washington County received $152 million in government transfers, which accounted for 31.6% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Idaho, government transfer payments totaled $19.8 billion, making up 18% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $10,187 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 Washington County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $58 million, amounting to $5,229 per capita, or 38.1% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $39 million ($3,515 per capita), representing 25.6% of the total. Medicaid contributed $21.9 million ($1,977 per capita), making up 14.4% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $16.2 million ($1,458 per capita), or 10.6% of the total.
With 25.7% of the population aged 65 and older, Washington County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Washington County was $29,703, far below the county’s total income of $43,417, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Washington County saw a decrease of 10.7% in per capita government transfers, from $15,642 to $13,714 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 Washington County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 12.46% (or $2,255 per capita) in 1970 to 31.6% (or $13,714 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County | 1 | $23,712 | 39.21% | 28.3% | $28,057,000 | $26,719,000 | $15,885,000 | $8,162,000 |
| Lemhi County | 2 | $16,460 | 30.45% | 31.45% | $50,702,000 | $36,126,000 | $20,935,000 | $10,421,000 |
| Clearwater County | 3 | $15,567 | 35.75% | 28.99% | $55,337,000 | $37,566,000 | $19,572,000 | $10,732,000 |
| Shoshone County | 4 | $14,430 | 31.85% | 23.36% | $75,714,000 | $50,379,000 | $38,072,000 | $19,964,000 |
| Custer County | 5 | $13,931 | 27.13% | 30.79% | $26,726,000 | $16,511,000 | $6,785,000 | $5,096,000 |
| Washington County | 6 | $13,714 | 31.59% | 25.72% | $57,975,000 | $38,969,000 | $21,917,000 | $16,168,000 |
| Butte County | 7 | $13,668 | 25.46% | 25.61% | $13,523,000 | $10,835,000 | $4,843,000 | $3,847,000 |
| Benewah County | 8 | $13,500 | 30.99% | 23.41% | $54,302,000 | $36,267,000 | $20,102,000 | $13,913,000 |
| Idaho County | 9 | $13,047 | 29.44% | 28.87% | $94,563,000 | $55,011,000 | $29,771,000 | $20,421,000 |
| Boundary County | 10 | $12,998 | 28.63% | 23% | $65,631,000 | $40,643,000 | $24,430,000 | $17,339,000 |
| Gem County | 11 | $12,846 | 27.39% | 22.87% | $97,459,000 | $62,427,000 | $49,726,000 | $25,307,000 |
| Nez Perce County | 12 | $12,605 | 23.16% | 21.14% | $207,232,000 | $135,620,000 | $84,543,000 | $50,122,000 |
| Adams County | 13 | $12,587 | 28.78% | 31.27% | $27,169,000 | $15,046,000 | $4,777,000 | $5,358,000 |
| Bear Lake County | 14 | $12,303 | 25.36% | 21% | $29,055,000 | $21,018,000 | $14,930,000 | $8,017,000 |
| Boise County | 15 | $12,264 | 22.87% | 28.48% | $48,964,000 | $20,344,000 | $10,803,000 | $8,410,000 |
| Bonner County | 16 | $12,012 | 23.11% | 26.21% | $267,624,000 | $144,221,000 | $71,078,000 | $55,615,000 |
| Oneida County | 17 | $11,965 | 25.62% | 20.38% | $19,611,000 | $17,284,000 | $8,514,000 | $5,919,000 |
| Valley County | 18 | $11,643 | 18% | 27.17% | $64,163,000 | $41,919,000 | $11,998,000 | $10,531,000 |
| Bannock County | 19 | $11,567 | 24.37% | 15.27% | $299,724,000 | $231,188,000 | $221,150,000 | $124,829,000 |
| Lincoln County | 20 | $11,553 | 22.35% | 15% | $16,026,000 | $21,357,000 | $11,236,000 | $7,445,000 |
| Gooding County | 21 | $11,453 | 15.7% | 18.67% | $56,347,000 | $44,470,000 | $41,492,000 | $22,546,000 |
| Kootenai County | 22 | $11,409 | 18.87% | 19.89% | $835,537,000 | $528,180,000 | $276,068,000 | $193,090,000 |
| Payette County | 23 | $11,375 | 23.38% | 19.47% | $113,140,000 | $74,076,000 | $51,847,000 | $37,732,000 |
| Caribou County | 24 | $10,742 | 22.17% | 18.22% | $29,179,000 | $21,103,000 | $11,217,000 | $8,118,000 |
| Elmore County | 25 | $10,611 | 24.5% | 14.85% | $89,484,000 | $55,065,000 | $52,444,000 | $40,501,000 |
| Twin Falls County | 26 | $10,519 | 21.46% | 16.59% | $331,479,000 | $221,006,000 | $204,577,000 | $127,327,000 |
| Fremont (includes Yellowstone Park) County | 27 | $10,277 | 22% | 17.92% | $50,542,000 | $30,721,000 | $26,123,000 | $18,579,000 |
| Bingham County | 28 | $10,256 | 21.86% | 15.21% | $164,162,000 | $124,164,000 | $102,806,000 | $72,081,000 |
| Owyhee County | 29 | $10,160 | 21% | 18.55% | $44,427,000 | $25,229,000 | $28,348,000 | $19,041,000 |
| Camas County | 30 | $9,957 | 16.1% | 24.64% | $5,152,000 | $2,868,000 | $1,047,000 | $1,215,000 |
| Blaine County | 31 | $9,846 | 5.94% | 22.73% | $111,427,000 | $71,976,000 | $21,458,000 | $18,572,000 |
| Bonneville County | 32 | $9,841 | 15.62% | 13.83% | $401,793,000 | $283,253,000 | $285,803,000 | $173,226,000 |
| Power County | 33 | $9,782 | 20.54% | 16.83% | $26,565,000 | $17,422,000 | $15,692,000 | $12,428,000 |
| Canyon County | 34 | $9,757 | 21.49% | 14.53% | $791,394,000 | $501,527,000 | $538,080,000 | $339,782,000 |
| Minidoka County | 35 | $9,498 | 19.81% | 16% | $71,350,000 | $45,507,000 | $43,896,000 | $31,608,000 |
| Cassia County | 36 | $9,491 | 17.37% | 14.48% | $78,291,000 | $54,381,000 | $53,907,000 | $36,863,000 |
| Ada County | 37 | $9,155 | 13.55% | 16.19% | $1,839,145,000 | $1,020,196,000 | $783,609,000 | $493,444,000 |
| Latah County | 38 | $9,028 | 17.15% | 14.89% | $139,384,000 | $86,292,000 | $52,923,000 | $39,088,000 |
| Franklin County | 39 | $8,997 | 20.32% | 14.58% | $47,841,000 | $33,781,000 | $22,046,000 | $18,613,000 |
| Jerome County | 40 | $8,698 | 19% | 13.53% | $68,910,000 | $49,379,000 | $46,195,000 | $36,225,000 |
| Jefferson County | 41 | $7,854 | 17.31% | 12.36% | $89,928,000 | $53,989,000 | $43,936,000 | $40,876,000 |
| Clark County | 42 | $7,653 | 16.19% | 20.62% | $2,096,000 | $1,524,000 | $822,000 | $1,078,000 |
| Teton County | 43 | $7,372 | 11.85% | 14.14% | $32,840,000 | $23,597,000 | $12,452,000 | $10,856,000 |
| Madison County | 44 | $6,059 | 21.77% | 5.6% | $65,877,000 | $46,248,000 | $56,912,000 | $52,270,000 |
