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 McLeod County received $453.2 million in government transfers, which accounted for 21.4% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Minnesota, government transfer payments totaled $65.1 billion, making up 16.5% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $11,379 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 McLeod County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $160 million, amounting to $4,358 per capita, or 35.3% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $118 million ($3,214 per capita), representing 26% of the total. Medicaid contributed $104.2 million ($2,838 per capita), making up 23% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $31.1 million ($848 per capita), or 6.9% of the total.
With 20.1% of the population aged 65 and older, McLeod County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in McLeod County was $45,248, far below the county’s total income of $57,593, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, McLeod County saw a decrease of 18.3% in per capita government transfers, from $15,069 to $12,345 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 McLeod County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 7.76% (or $1,662 per capita) in 1970 to 21.4% (or $12,345 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koochiching County | 1 | $18,288 | 34.54% | 28.35% | $73,240,000 | $47,177,000 | $56,795,000 | $17,387,000 |
| Traverse County | 2 | $18,142 | 21.19% | 25.69% | $17,183,000 | $14,998,000 | $17,284,000 | $5,968,000 |
| Big Stone County | 3 | $17,907 | 25.51% | 26.63% | $26,154,000 | $24,372,000 | $27,037,000 | $6,634,000 |
| Aitkin County | 4 | $17,748 | 35.56% | 34% | $94,039,000 | $80,011,000 | $64,294,000 | $19,753,000 |
| Cass County | 5 | $17,400 | 31.12% | 27% | $190,885,000 | $113,419,000 | $132,598,000 | $54,878,000 |
| Lac qui Parle County | 6 | $17,206 | 24.86% | 27.78% | $33,373,000 | $31,853,000 | $33,456,000 | $7,663,000 |
| Wadena County | 7 | $17,125 | 36.69% | 20.29% | $66,401,000 | $56,059,000 | $72,188,000 | $24,439,000 |
| Lake of the Woods County | 8 | $16,996 | 28.51% | 26% | $20,565,000 | $18,592,000 | $15,719,000 | $4,493,000 |
| Mahnomen County | 9 | $16,903 | 34.75% | 17.68% | $14,768,000 | $13,709,000 | $45,024,000 | $10,373,000 |
| Itasca County | 10 | $16,408 | 31.84% | 25.69% | $256,283,000 | $168,591,000 | $180,861,000 | $64,980,000 |
| Lake County | 11 | $16,406 | 30.94% | 27.75% | $63,167,000 | $43,446,000 | $40,419,000 | $10,154,000 |
| Norman County | 12 | $16,332 | 27.33% | 21.57% | $28,629,000 | $23,176,000 | $34,412,000 | $9,122,000 |
| Yellow Medicine County | 13 | $16,277 | 24.59% | 21.66% | $45,996,000 | $38,283,000 | $43,720,000 | $10,836,000 |
| Martin County | 14 | $15,784 | 25.13% | 24.37% | $101,160,000 | $80,295,000 | $78,757,000 | $28,024,000 |
| Clearwater County | 15 | $15,759 | 29.49% | 21% | $36,401,000 | $31,509,000 | $40,802,000 | $13,220,000 |
| Kittson County | 16 | $15,419 | 22% | 25.89% | $20,945,000 | $14,753,000 | $17,067,000 | $4,790,000 |
| Murray County | 17 | $15,381 | 22.71% | 26.78% | $40,272,000 | $37,505,000 | $27,213,000 | $8,706,000 |
| Grant County | 18 | $15,375 | 24.75% | 23.53% | $31,327,000 | $25,974,000 | $21,486,000 | $7,671,000 |
| Faribault County | 19 | $15,269 | 27.39% | 23.83% | $67,396,000 | $51,495,000 | $57,162,000 | $20,078,000 |
| Cottonwood County | 20 | $15,260 | 24.16% | 22.93% | $53,865,000 | $46,152,000 | $43,990,000 | $16,218,000 |
| Becker County | 21 | $15,100 | 26.26% | 22.8% | $169,462,000 | $126,009,000 | $146,982,000 | $42,564,000 |
| Renville County | 22 | $15,050 | 23.35% | 21.83% | $64,748,000 | $58,759,000 | $58,402,000 | $18,584,000 |
| Wilkin County | 23 | $14,932 | 21.17% | 19.88% | $26,705,000 | $20,357,000 | $32,486,000 | $8,068,000 |
| Beltrami County | 24 | $14,831 | 29.45% | 17.5% | $171,595,000 | $128,783,000 | $249,851,000 | $77,166,000 |
| Mille Lacs County | 25 | $14,810 | 28.82% | 18.32% | $125,120,000 | $96,650,000 | $103,334,000 | $34,296,000 |
| Crow Wing County | 26 | $14,795 | 28% | 24.48% | $368,093,000 | $249,675,000 | $194,890,000 | $77,766,000 |
| Hubbard County | 27 | $14,791 | 25.24% | 26.66% | $118,097,000 | $78,018,000 | $65,998,000 | $29,020,000 |
| Polk County | 28 | $14,768 | 25% | 19.4% | $123,662,000 | $93,488,000 | $147,623,000 | $46,270,000 |
| St. Louis County | 29 | $14,720 | 26% | 21.35% | $936,067,000 | $603,133,000 | $832,870,000 | $278,085,000 |
| Marshall County | 30 | $14,718 | 19.38% | 23.33% | $39,831,000 | $32,217,000 | $35,702,000 | $9,200,000 |
| Swift County | 31 | $14,711 | 22% | 23.62% | $39,158,000 | $33,053,000 | $45,608,000 | $12,863,000 |
| Red Lake County | 32 | $14,685 | 20% | 23% | $16,655,000 | $15,536,000 | $14,851,000 | $4,871,000 |
| Kanabec County | 33 | $14,485 | 29% | 21.75% | $80,277,000 | $56,743,000 | $58,607,000 | $20,476,000 |
| Pine County | 34 | $14,479 | 32% | 22.56% | $141,592,000 | $93,782,000 | $104,070,000 | $41,249,000 |
| Pope County | 35 | $14,474 | 22.71% | 25.29% | $54,060,000 | $44,537,000 | $39,534,000 | $12,199,000 |
| Lincoln County | 36 | $14,361 | 23.74% | 24.39% | $24,500,000 | $19,348,000 | $24,437,000 | $5,431,000 |
| Otter Tail County | 37 | $14,347 | 25.28% | 25.42% | $313,236,000 | $215,724,000 | $179,941,000 | $65,004,000 |
| Chippewa County | 38 | $14,320 | 25.54% | 21.81% | $50,176,000 | $43,044,000 | $52,223,000 | $15,973,000 |
| Todd County | 39 | $14,281 | 25.64% | 23.25% | $107,325,000 | $93,962,000 | $96,363,000 | $33,153,000 |
| Cook County | 40 | $14,197 | 25% | 30.94% | $35,101,000 | $21,012,000 | $13,864,000 | $4,703,000 |
| Brown County | 41 | $14,130 | 22.73% | 22.11% | $119,973,000 | $98,769,000 | $88,082,000 | $25,216,000 |
| Freeborn County | 42 | $14,106 | 25.47% | 23.25% | $151,311,000 | $103,903,000 | $98,647,000 | $45,499,000 |
| Redwood County | 43 | $14,103 | 19% | 21.57% | $64,258,000 | $57,926,000 | $58,511,000 | $17,300,000 |
| Morrison County | 44 | $14,060 | 27.28% | 21.22% | $144,644,000 | $117,928,000 | $115,928,000 | $40,376,000 |
| Carlton County | 45 | $13,981 | 27.82% | 18.64% | $158,077,000 | $119,232,000 | $139,932,000 | $39,034,000 |
| Douglas County | 46 | $13,898 | 22.23% | 24.27% | $207,774,000 | $139,933,000 | $110,100,000 | $37,359,000 |
| Wabasha County | 47 | $13,597 | 22.35% | 23.56% | $104,334,000 | $84,521,000 | $59,925,000 | $17,520,000 |
| Mower County | 48 | $13,443 | 24.97% | 18.47% | $159,278,000 | $121,078,000 | $152,987,000 | $63,124,000 |
| Pennington County | 49 | $13,432 | 20.29% | 19.13% | $53,753,000 | $43,409,000 | $51,154,000 | $15,953,000 |
| Pipestone County | 50 | $13,414 | 19.88% | 21% | $35,959,000 | $33,350,000 | $36,266,000 | $12,098,000 |
| Kandiyohi County | 51 | $13,217 | 22.21% | 20.33% | $182,428,000 | $130,447,000 | $146,826,000 | $62,672,000 |
| Jackson County | 52 | $13,089 | 20.59% | 23.62% | $42,920,000 | $30,590,000 | $33,990,000 | $11,181,000 |
| Meeker County | 53 | $13,033 | 23.8% | 21.16% | $105,816,000 | $73,309,000 | $72,586,000 | $24,101,000 |
| Rock County | 54 | $12,984 | 21.27% | 20.45% | $40,799,000 | $32,896,000 | $29,771,000 | $10,166,000 |
| Houston County | 55 | $12,969 | 21.61% | 23.33% | $94,554,000 | $52,215,000 | $56,682,000 | $16,017,000 |
| Fillmore County | 56 | $12,751 | 22.93% | 22% | $94,885,000 | $68,674,000 | $66,221,000 | $20,294,000 |
| Waseca County | 57 | $12,707 | 23.16% | 19.31% | $81,845,000 | $60,276,000 | $56,531,000 | $21,168,000 |
| Lyon County | 58 | $12,693 | 21% | 17.6% | $94,003,000 | $69,488,000 | $95,490,000 | $33,244,000 |
| Ramsey County | 59 | $12,662 | 19.37% | 15.9% | $1,866,804,000 | $1,226,682,000 | $2,330,188,000 | $925,706,000 |
| Watonwan County | 60 | $12,597 | 22% | 20.84% | $41,228,000 | $32,255,000 | $39,428,000 | $12,883,000 |
| Sibley County | 61 | $12,392 | 20.7% | 19.57% | $60,275,000 | $46,979,000 | $47,180,000 | $15,158,000 |
| Goodhue County | 62 | $12,352 | 19.3% | 20.67% | $225,778,000 | $157,603,000 | $122,468,000 | $38,679,000 |
| McLeod County | 63 | $12,345 | 21.44% | 20.12% | $159,988,000 | $117,983,000 | $104,202,000 | $31,133,000 |
| Roseau County | 64 | $11,942 | 19.5% | 19.35% | $63,779,000 | $42,473,000 | $45,099,000 | $15,651,000 |
| Steele County | 65 | $11,778 | 21.47% | 19% | $156,899,000 | $103,738,000 | $104,660,000 | $42,227,000 |
| Winona County | 66 | $11,521 | 20% | 18.89% | $197,994,000 | $122,297,000 | $141,439,000 | $50,509,000 |
| Stevens County | 67 | $11,446 | 17.55% | 17.69% | $32,466,000 | $29,201,000 | $28,394,000 | $10,247,000 |
| Stearns County | 68 | $11,387 | 19.2% | 16.16% | $558,671,000 | $401,054,000 | $377,290,000 | $199,715,000 |
| Nobles County | 69 | $11,078 | 19.74% | 17% | $70,250,000 | $52,552,000 | $72,572,000 | $29,795,000 |
| Clay County | 70 | $10,923 | 21.43% | 14% | $198,728,000 | $133,501,000 | $218,389,000 | $89,681,000 |
| Isanti County | 71 | $10,914 | 20.82% | 16.97% | $173,433,000 | $98,906,000 | $99,311,000 | $38,434,000 |
| Hennepin County | 72 | $10,860 | 12% | 15.73% | $4,272,978,000 | $2,656,616,000 | $4,273,061,000 | $1,516,417,000 |
| Chisago County | 73 | $10,790 | 18.35% | 17.11% | $231,060,000 | $158,510,000 | $128,151,000 | $41,870,000 |
| Le Sueur County | 74 | $10,768 | 17.74% | 18.56% | $111,712,000 | $72,205,000 | $76,828,000 | $23,445,000 |
| Benton County | 75 | $10,643 | 19.62% | 14.3% | $136,836,000 | $84,471,000 | $118,339,000 | $49,237,000 |
| Nicollet County | 76 | $10,319 | 17.8% | 17.88% | $124,973,000 | $84,104,000 | $76,211,000 | $31,314,000 |
| Rice County | 77 | $10,275 | 19.19% | 16.46% | $255,658,000 | $158,280,000 | $159,607,000 | $63,618,000 |
| Blue Earth County | 78 | $10,159 | 19.23% | 15% | $227,285,000 | $159,018,000 | $162,556,000 | $78,250,000 |
| Olmsted County | 79 | $10,026 | 14.84% | 16.83% | $595,404,000 | $358,657,000 | $398,841,000 | $160,649,000 |
| Dodge County | 80 | $9,759 | 16.53% | 15.87% | $73,020,000 | $47,876,000 | $46,839,000 | $17,578,000 |
| Anoka County | 81 | $9,665 | 16% | 15.41% | $1,277,162,000 | $779,846,000 | $864,597,000 | $324,528,000 |
| Dakota County | 82 | $9,466 | 13.53% | 15.92% | $1,584,797,000 | $977,832,000 | $924,108,000 | $331,179,000 |
| Washington County | 83 | $8,999 | 11.27% | 16.61% | $1,047,718,000 | $632,340,000 | $407,168,000 | $160,062,000 |
| Sherburne County | 84 | $8,833 | 15.47% | 12.35% | $313,249,000 | $217,072,000 | $167,481,000 | $79,838,000 |
| Wright County | 85 | $8,412 | 13.45% | 13.7% | $464,142,000 | $311,762,000 | $250,386,000 | $89,444,000 |
| Carver County | 86 | $7,522 | 8.64% | 14.35% | $344,991,000 | $213,887,000 | $145,619,000 | $49,421,000 |
| Scott County | 87 | $7,279 | 9.65% | 12.47% | $432,339,000 | $262,325,000 | $222,226,000 | $93,522,000 |
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