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 Wells County received $64.9 million in government transfers, which accounted for 15.1% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in North Dakota, government transfer payments totaled $7.7 billion, making up 14.1% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $9,913 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 Wells County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $19.6 million, amounting to $4,992 per capita, or 30.2% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $16 million ($4,083 per capita), representing 24.7% of the total. Medicaid contributed $17.5 million ($4,452 per capita), making up 27% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $4 million ($1,007 per capita), or 6.1% of the total.
With 28.3% of the population aged 65 and older, Wells County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Wells County was $92,901, noticeably below the county’s total income of $109,412, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Wells County saw a decrease of 9.8% in per capita government transfers, from $18,427 to $16,511 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 Wells County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 12.8% (or $2,292 per capita) in 1970 to 15.1% (or $16,511 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McIntosh County | 1 | $21,094 | 23.45% | 29.98% | $13,422,000 | $14,611,000 | $17,265,000 | $2,379,000 |
| Nelson County | 2 | $19,084 | 20.68% | 27.61% | $17,697,000 | $11,829,000 | $18,933,000 | $2,510,000 |
| Rolette County | 3 | $19,076 | 33.47% | 13.21% | $37,972,000 | $35,567,000 | $87,236,000 | $39,323,000 |
| Towner County | 4 | $16,773 | 14% | 27.43% | $11,067,000 | $8,586,000 | $9,181,000 | $2,132,000 |
| Wells County | 5 | $16,511 | 15% | 28.28% | $19,617,000 | $16,046,000 | $17,495,000 | $3,958,000 |
| Adams County | 6 | $16,267 | 27.67% | 30.47% | $11,327,000 | $9,622,000 | $8,754,000 | $1,817,000 |
| Griggs County | 7 | $15,703 | 16.72% | 31.3% | $12,145,000 | $9,026,000 | $9,239,000 | $2,315,000 |
| Benson County | 8 | $15,683 | 22.88% | 15.99% | $19,357,000 | $15,633,000 | $29,977,000 | $13,461,000 |
| Logan County | 9 | $15,539 | 18.2% | 26.71% | $7,722,000 | $6,865,000 | $8,710,000 | $1,773,000 |
| Emmons County | 10 | $15,293 | 16.27% | 28.61% | $16,506,000 | $14,709,000 | $9,778,000 | $3,105,000 |
| Eddy County | 11 | $15,169 | 16.79% | 22.19% | $11,165,000 | $6,021,000 | $12,810,000 | $2,190,000 |
| Pierce County | 12 | $15,101 | 20.24% | 23.99% | $18,354,000 | $13,632,000 | $15,960,000 | $4,346,000 |
| Renville County | 13 | $15,048 | 13.25% | 20.89% | $10,410,000 | $6,977,000 | $10,052,000 | $1,727,000 |
| Sheridan County | 14 | $15,039 | 15.15% | 35.93% | $6,951,000 | $4,686,000 | $3,670,000 | $1,926,000 |
| Grant County | 15 | $14,996 | 23.33% | 30.88% | $10,075,000 | $9,930,000 | $6,743,000 | $2,916,000 |
| Sioux County | 16 | $14,991 | 38.65% | 9.33% | $6,915,000 | $6,413,000 | $24,846,000 | $10,448,000 |
| Walsh County | 17 | $14,881 | 19.59% | 22.24% | $48,233,000 | $46,311,000 | $35,539,000 | $9,959,000 |
| Dickey County | 18 | $14,804 | 15.92% | 20% | $20,523,000 | $16,424,000 | $23,565,000 | $4,798,000 |
| Kidder County | 19 | $14,601 | 17.47% | 27.47% | $10,324,000 | $7,808,000 | $9,388,000 | $2,225,000 |
| Bottineau County | 20 | $14,564 | 16.2% | 25.34% | $31,652,000 | $22,832,000 | $20,891,000 | $6,099,000 |
| Cavalier County | 21 | $14,531 | 10.72% | 27.88% | $19,283,000 | $13,985,000 | $11,718,000 | $2,768,000 |
| Ransom County | 22 | $14,042 | 18.85% | 21.99% | $22,977,000 | $18,398,000 | $22,594,000 | $3,834,000 |
| Bowman County | 23 | $14,020 | 18.68% | 24.28% | $13,223,000 | $14,135,000 | $7,952,000 | $1,827,000 |
| Ramsey County | 24 | $13,907 | 20.36% | 21.42% | $49,807,000 | $36,473,000 | $43,387,000 | $12,017,000 |
| McHenry County | 25 | $13,835 | 17.66% | 21.87% | $22,233,000 | $18,886,000 | $13,329,000 | $5,463,000 |
| McLean County | 26 | $13,771 | 16.96% | 26.3% | $49,522,000 | $33,522,000 | $28,476,000 | $6,444,000 |
| Divide County | 27 | $13,583 | 18.4% | 25.31% | $9,233,000 | $8,923,000 | $6,221,000 | $1,698,000 |
| Barnes County | 28 | $13,491 | 17.81% | 23.41% | $48,902,000 | $33,206,000 | $35,027,000 | $8,759,000 |
| Pembina County | 29 | $13,336 | 15.17% | 25.72% | $34,824,000 | $25,535,000 | $15,183,000 | $5,005,000 |
| Hettinger County | 30 | $13,197 | 19.58% | 22.98% | $10,931,000 | $8,099,000 | $7,764,000 | $2,030,000 |
| Traill County | 31 | $13,043 | 17.3% | 20.54% | $33,758,000 | $25,480,000 | $24,595,000 | $5,943,000 |
| Mercer County | 32 | $12,778 | 19.29% | 22.61% | $42,272,000 | $30,676,000 | $18,026,000 | $4,805,000 |
| LaMoure County | 33 | $12,749 | 13.45% | 27.63% | $18,825,000 | $14,272,000 | $9,468,000 | $3,310,000 |
| Stutsman County | 34 | $12,343 | 18.17% | 20.51% | $90,728,000 | $60,244,000 | $66,583,000 | $16,998,000 |
| Sargent County | 35 | $12,105 | 13% | 23.13% | $18,180,000 | $14,549,000 | $5,313,000 | $2,407,000 |
| Foster County | 36 | $11,693 | 12.78% | 23.67% | $13,930,000 | $10,138,000 | $7,674,000 | $2,337,000 |
| Steele County | 37 | $10,899 | 9.43% | 25.77% | $9,431,000 | $5,645,000 | $852,000 | $1,416,000 |
| Richland County | 38 | $10,843 | 16.44% | 20.35% | $66,823,000 | $41,264,000 | $33,767,000 | $12,454,000 |
| Dunn County | 39 | $10,467 | 11.41% | 18.9% | $13,162,000 | $10,269,000 | $9,623,000 | $2,649,000 |
| Mountrail County | 40 | $10,398 | 12.83% | 13.73% | $27,351,000 | $19,738,000 | $28,101,000 | $8,649,000 |
| Slope County | 41 | $10,190 | 17.84% | 30.79% | $2,641,000 | $1,254,000 | $1,140,000 | $586,000 |
| Morton County | 42 | $9,956 | 16.37% | 17.29% | $116,976,000 | $81,151,000 | $65,640,000 | $24,512,000 |
| Golden Valley County | 43 | $9,894 | 17.37% | 27.61% | $7,412,000 | $5,540,000 | $1,513,000 | $1,104,000 |
| Burke County | 44 | $9,690 | 9.44% | 22.47% | $8,712,000 | $5,917,000 | $3,016,000 | $1,400,000 |
| Burleigh County | 45 | $9,577 | 13.4% | 17.87% | $365,450,000 | $233,068,000 | $168,178,000 | $58,251,000 |
| Oliver County | 46 | $9,563 | 15.22% | 25.24% | $9,096,000 | $4,181,000 | $1,273,000 | $1,292,000 |
| Ward County | 47 | $9,145 | 14.61% | 14.29% | $192,313,000 | $141,690,000 | $116,817,000 | $52,465,000 |
| Grand Forks County | 48 | $8,964 | 14.67% | 14.4% | $218,212,000 | $153,805,000 | $112,970,000 | $53,960,000 |
| Stark County | 49 | $8,426 | 12.56% | 14% | $92,253,000 | $61,573,000 | $58,337,000 | $21,258,000 |
| Cass County | 50 | $7,444 | 10.77% | 12.94% | $536,348,000 | $335,812,000 | $214,456,000 | $123,297,000 |
| Williams County | 51 | $6,490 | 9.39% | 10.55% | $82,326,000 | $54,766,000 | $50,536,000 | $22,599,000 |
| Billings County | 52 | $5,653 | 6.81% | 23.9% | $2,975,000 | $817,000 | $645,000 | $634,000 |
| McKenzie County | 53 | $5,568 | 7.32% | 10.32% | $23,794,000 | $17,144,000 | $16,237,000 | $8,122,000 |
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