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 Garden County received $33.2 million in government transfers, which accounted for 35.1% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Nebraska, government transfer payments totaled $20.2 billion, making up 16% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $10,262 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 Garden County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $10 million, amounting to $5,443 per capita, or 30.1% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $10.4 million ($5,676 per capita), representing 31.4% of the total. Medicaid contributed $4.7 million ($2,568 per capita), making up 14.2% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $1.9 million ($1,039 per capita), or 5.7% of the total.
With 29.5% of the population aged 65 and older, Garden County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Garden County was $33,483, far below the county’s total income of $51,563, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Garden County saw a decrease of 11.6% in per capita government transfers, from $20,491 to $18,080 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 Garden County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 9.99% (or $2,036 per capita) in 1970 to 35.1% (or $18,080 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boyd County | 1 | $20,621 | 26.25% | 31.1% | $9,789,000 | $12,070,000 | $7,494,000 | $1,444,000 |
| Garden County | 2 | $18,080 | 35% | 29.48% | $9,998,000 | $10,427,000 | $4,717,000 | $1,909,000 |
| Furnas County | 3 | $17,213 | 28.79% | 25.34% | $23,931,000 | $27,933,000 | $12,382,000 | $4,143,000 |
| Dundy County | 4 | $16,965 | 19.21% | 28.59% | $8,401,000 | $9,587,000 | $4,586,000 | $1,293,000 |
| Franklin County | 5 | $16,865 | 27.8% | 27.54% | $14,869,000 | $16,085,000 | $7,198,000 | $2,716,000 |
| Nuckolls County | 6 | $16,440 | 25.92% | 27.92% | $21,545,000 | $20,653,000 | $11,070,000 | $3,360,000 |
| Gage County | 7 | $16,200 | 25.37% | 22.17% | $102,143,000 | $76,929,000 | $112,234,000 | $19,076,000 |
| Garfield County | 8 | $16,172 | 33.13% | 29.88% | $7,784,000 | $8,689,000 | $4,895,000 | $1,380,000 |
| Thayer County | 9 | $16,105 | 24.28% | 24.7% | $23,709,000 | $24,806,000 | $16,941,000 | $3,851,000 |
| Hitchcock County | 10 | $15,826 | 26.97% | 25.55% | $13,934,000 | $10,963,000 | $6,934,000 | $2,610,000 |
| Box Butte County | 11 | $15,648 | 28.31% | 21.51% | $32,318,000 | $42,790,000 | $25,856,000 | $10,577,000 |
| Harlan County | 12 | $15,595 | 24.7% | 27.31% | $16,171,000 | $16,961,000 | $5,744,000 | $2,766,000 |
| Kimball County | 13 | $15,481 | 28% | 27.28% | $18,434,000 | $15,738,000 | $8,106,000 | $3,085,000 |
| Richardson County | 14 | $15,378 | 26.27% | 24.9% | $38,320,000 | $42,375,000 | $15,965,000 | $7,480,000 |
| Webster County | 15 | $15,214 | 26.83% | 22.43% | $14,869,000 | $16,117,000 | $9,996,000 | $2,993,000 |
| Knox County | 16 | $14,975 | 25.51% | 25.68% | $39,045,000 | $35,530,000 | $23,071,000 | $7,941,000 |
| Morrill County | 17 | $14,925 | 21.48% | 22.89% | $17,291,000 | $20,717,000 | $12,591,000 | $4,746,000 |
| Holt County | 18 | $14,862 | 23.52% | 23.29% | $42,648,000 | $47,710,000 | $25,167,000 | $8,801,000 |
| Gosper County | 19 | $14,842 | 22.55% | 24.25% | $10,023,000 | $8,237,000 | $2,796,000 | $1,256,000 |
| Thomas County | 20 | $14,823 | 22.41% | 29.47% | $3,235,000 | $3,212,000 | $686,000 | $528,000 |
| Hooker County | 21 | $14,815 | 34% | 28.59% | $3,654,000 | $2,747,000 | $1,611,000 | $508,000 |
| Sheridan County | 22 | $14,692 | 20.94% | 27.27% | $23,291,000 | $20,787,000 | $10,544,000 | $5,188,000 |
| Grant County | 23 | $14,686 | 30.17% | 24.32% | $2,877,000 | $2,762,000 | $524,000 | $536,000 |
| Valley County | 24 | $14,556 | 24% | 25% | $18,200,000 | $17,124,000 | $10,673,000 | $3,622,000 |
| Loup County | 25 | $14,519 | 22.95% | 29.62% | $2,903,000 | $2,241,000 | $1,014,000 | $425,000 |
| Sherman County | 26 | $14,398 | 25.57% | 27.21% | $14,609,000 | $11,362,000 | $6,864,000 | $2,607,000 |
| Jefferson County | 27 | $14,370 | 25% | 24.52% | $34,764,000 | $31,812,000 | $17,368,000 | $6,604,000 |
| Lincoln County | 28 | $14,359 | 22.17% | 21.22% | $118,117,000 | $126,382,000 | $74,463,000 | $33,483,000 |
| Deuel County | 29 | $14,269 | 30.57% | 27.2% | $9,973,000 | $8,315,000 | $3,820,000 | $1,556,000 |
| Greeley County | 30 | $14,269 | 22.89% | 25.1% | $9,998,000 | $8,880,000 | $4,487,000 | $2,074,000 |
| Fillmore County | 31 | $14,254 | 21.54% | 24.33% | $28,641,000 | $24,750,000 | $11,069,000 | $3,763,000 |
| Keya Paha County | 32 | $14,254 | 24.35% | 31.55% | $3,763,000 | $3,886,000 | $703,000 | $506,000 |
| Custer County | 33 | $14,225 | 24.3% | 22.74% | $43,656,000 | $48,565,000 | $23,383,000 | $8,275,000 |
| Brown County | 34 | $14,151 | 22.22% | 25.46% | $13,256,000 | $12,336,000 | $6,676,000 | $2,177,000 |
| Kearney County | 35 | $14,044 | 20.51% | 20.86% | $24,483,000 | $22,457,000 | $30,644,000 | $4,797,000 |
| Burt County | 36 | $13,978 | 25.61% | 24.8% | $34,974,000 | $26,489,000 | $16,789,000 | $5,528,000 |
| Red Willow County | 37 | $13,808 | 24.57% | 21.37% | $45,390,000 | $41,990,000 | $24,244,000 | $8,357,000 |
| Chase County | 38 | $13,435 | 18.5% | 23.18% | $15,998,000 | $17,059,000 | $7,653,000 | $2,824,000 |
| Antelope County | 39 | $13,420 | 19.49% | 24.49% | $27,067,000 | $24,835,000 | $12,838,000 | $5,125,000 |
| Cheyenne County | 40 | $13,298 | 26.25% | 22.4% | $43,865,000 | $40,437,000 | $17,112,000 | $7,822,000 |
| Pawnee County | 41 | $13,260 | 23.73% | 28.96% | $10,994,000 | $10,891,000 | $5,255,000 | $2,240,000 |
| Scotts Bluff County | 42 | $13,225 | 24.79% | 20.88% | $150,916,000 | $117,323,000 | $91,064,000 | $43,046,000 |
| Phelps County | 43 | $13,143 | 21% | 20.16% | $39,708,000 | $35,008,000 | $22,018,000 | $6,752,000 |
| Thurston County | 44 | $13,122 | 23.14% | 12.68% | $18,397,000 | $18,859,000 | $26,187,000 | $16,192,000 |
| Keith County | 45 | $13,088 | 24.31% | 27.13% | $40,470,000 | $31,697,000 | $12,002,000 | $6,970,000 |
| Nemaha County | 46 | $13,078 | 23.65% | 20.54% | $30,535,000 | $26,982,000 | $17,550,000 | $5,926,000 |
| Cherry County | 47 | $13,029 | 24.14% | 22.5% | $22,381,000 | $21,565,000 | $9,844,000 | $5,224,000 |
| Perkins County | 48 | $12,963 | 15% | 24.12% | $13,601,000 | $10,298,000 | $5,160,000 | $1,855,000 |
| Merrick County | 49 | $12,744 | 23% | 21.23% | $34,777,000 | $25,965,000 | $17,846,000 | $6,115,000 |
| Nance County | 50 | $12,729 | 26.7% | 20.59% | $11,843,000 | $7,056,000 | $12,908,000 | $2,659,000 |
| Blaine County | 51 | $12,653 | 23.15% | 21.9% | $1,734,000 | $1,630,000 | $601,000 | $473,000 |
| Rock County | 52 | $12,648 | 17.64% | 28.53% | $6,037,000 | $3,436,000 | $2,342,000 | $966,000 |
| Boone County | 53 | $12,555 | 19.87% | 23.48% | $23,365,000 | $21,336,000 | $8,565,000 | $3,641,000 |
| Clay County | 54 | $12,535 | 21% | 20.81% | $27,805,000 | $20,530,000 | $12,256,000 | $4,873,000 |
| Hayes County | 55 | $12,453 | 16.31% | 26.97% | $3,272,000 | $3,488,000 | $1,001,000 | $689,000 |
| Adams County | 56 | $12,381 | 20.65% | 19.42% | $129,371,000 | $96,673,000 | $76,746,000 | $29,041,000 |
| York County | 57 | $12,192 | 20.11% | 20.35% | $60,688,000 | $47,252,000 | $36,154,000 | $9,466,000 |
| Otoe County | 58 | $12,166 | 21% | 20.41% | $68,989,000 | $61,319,000 | $31,189,000 | $11,682,000 |
| Dawes County | 59 | $12,038 | 26.2% | 20.4% | $29,526,000 | $23,367,000 | $15,302,000 | $7,172,000 |
| Dodge County | 60 | $11,958 | 20.15% | 18.85% | $160,777,000 | $116,016,000 | $83,483,000 | $34,886,000 |
| Polk County | 61 | $11,929 | 18.29% | 24% | $24,533,000 | $18,496,000 | $7,650,000 | $3,326,000 |
| Cuming County | 62 | $11,880 | 15.81% | 21.8% | $39,020,000 | $33,391,000 | $11,840,000 | $5,990,000 |
| Howard County | 63 | $11,799 | 20.92% | 22.35% | $26,870,000 | $24,684,000 | $7,815,000 | $4,482,000 |
| Logan County | 64 | $11,551 | 21.88% | 26.28% | $2,755,000 | $2,259,000 | $686,000 | $636,000 |
| Cedar County | 65 | $11,411 | 18.23% | 22.62% | $34,777,000 | $29,895,000 | $10,051,000 | $5,156,000 |
| Madison County | 66 | $11,375 | 18.21% | 17.55% | $136,196,000 | $102,396,000 | $82,094,000 | $30,667,000 |
| Butler County | 67 | $11,363 | 18.91% | 20.35% | $34,715,000 | $26,706,000 | $15,288,000 | $5,443,000 |
| Hamilton County | 68 | $11,143 | 16.74% | 20.63% | $42,451,000 | $29,645,000 | $13,323,000 | $5,733,000 |
| Dixon County | 69 | $10,866 | 19.73% | 22.61% | $21,017,000 | $18,659,000 | $7,971,000 | $4,157,000 |
| Cass County | 70 | $10,854 | 16.85% | 18.74% | $109,657,000 | $76,144,000 | $36,270,000 | $16,082,000 |
| Dawson County | 71 | $10,605 | 20.11% | 16.72% | $78,532,000 | $75,117,000 | $45,389,000 | $25,439,000 |
| Pierce County | 72 | $10,592 | 12.39% | 19.76% | $26,698,000 | $23,803,000 | $11,464,000 | $4,652,000 |
| Banner County | 73 | $10,576 | 17.32% | 26.33% | $4,181,000 | $1,518,000 | $289,000 | $533,000 |
| Saline County | 74 | $10,566 | 20.36% | 15.74% | $49,989,000 | $41,162,000 | $30,253,000 | $10,725,000 |
| Saunders County | 75 | $10,539 | 16.18% | 18.29% | $87,165,000 | $69,716,000 | $38,290,000 | $12,583,000 |
| Seward County | 76 | $10,483 | 17.68% | 17.91% | $71,732,000 | $51,456,000 | $29,471,000 | $8,773,000 |
| Frontier County | 77 | $10,418 | 19.47% | 25.97% | $9,838,000 | $8,340,000 | $2,291,000 | $2,013,000 |
| Washington County | 78 | $10,127 | 14.51% | 19.1% | $88,898,000 | $59,686,000 | $29,292,000 | $10,219,000 |
| Wheeler County | 79 | $10,090 | 17.84% | 29% | $2,976,000 | $2,138,000 | $516,000 | $512,000 |
| Johnson County | 80 | $10,088 | 23.5% | 18.74% | $15,913,000 | $19,208,000 | $8,441,000 | $3,175,000 |
| Hall County | 81 | $10,069 | 18.65% | 15.72% | $204,360,000 | $138,362,000 | $124,153,000 | $66,397,000 |
| McPherson County | 82 | $9,882 | 17.65% | 28.23% | $1,132,000 | $994,000 | $308,000 | $413,000 |
| Platte County | 83 | $9,803 | 17.44% | 18.45% | $128,523,000 | $93,823,000 | $45,515,000 | $24,763,000 |
| Buffalo County | 84 | $9,681 | 15% | 16.41% | $172,486,000 | $123,108,000 | $79,327,000 | $36,477,000 |
| Arthur County | 85 | $9,194 | 20.64% | 22.82% | $1,844,000 | $1,218,000 | $377,000 | $327,000 |
| Lancaster County | 86 | $9,158 | 15.17% | 15.36% | $1,057,604,000 | $685,260,000 | $546,591,000 | $250,420,000 |
| Douglas County | 87 | $9,013 | 12.21% | 14.14% | $1,820,174,000 | $1,176,199,000 | $1,060,974,000 | $580,596,000 |
| Sioux County | 88 | $8,988 | 13.66% | 31.23% | $4,586,000 | $2,409,000 | $275,000 | $768,000 |
| Dakota County | 89 | $8,971 | 17.18% | 14% | $65,508,000 | $38,386,000 | $40,102,000 | $24,594,000 |
| Wayne County | 90 | $8,962 | 17.3% | 16.22% | $29,674,000 | $22,418,000 | $16,055,000 | $5,676,000 |
| Colfax County | 91 | $8,585 | 15.37% | 14.13% | $28,112,000 | $24,145,000 | $16,623,000 | $9,617,000 |
| Stanton County | 92 | $8,311 | 14.23% | 21% | $19,369,000 | $9,200,000 | $5,969,000 | $3,388,000 |
| Sarpy County | 93 | $8,006 | 12.91% | 12.88% | $564,790,000 | $347,311,000 | $148,779,000 | $107,820,000 |
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