John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
These payments—which include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and income maintenance—accounted for 33% of all personal income in the county, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.
This marks a slight increase in the county’s reliance on government transfers compared to 2012, when such payments made up 32.5% of total income. Since then, the share has risen by 0.5%.
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).
In 2022, government transfers in Carter County primarily focused on older adults—such as Social Security transfers, which totaled $273.4 million (36.4% of all transfer income), and Medicare, which accounted for $195.4 million (26%)—played a significant role in the county's overall income.
On a per capita basis, Social Security payments rose from $4,113 in 2012 and $818 in 1970 to $4,846 in 2022, reflecting a 17.8% increase over the past decade and a 492.4% shift since 1970.
Similarly, Medicare transfers climbed from $3,007 in 2012 and $96 in 1970 to $3,464, marking 15.2% and 3,508.3% increases, respectively.
These increases in per capita payments align with shifts in the county’s age distribution. In 2022, residents aged 65 and older made up 22.7% of the total population, compared to 18.4% in 2012 and 9.5% in 1970. While the senior share of the population has increased, the rise in per capita Social Security and Medicare transfers suggests that these assistance programs for older adults now require a larger share of government funding—either due to growing needs, expanded eligibility, higher benefit levels, or increased enrollment.
According to the Economic Innovation Group, total income in Carter County excluding public assistance amounted to $27,058 per capita in 2022, compared to $40,378 when government transfers were included.
Breaking down the other contributions in the county, Medicaid transfers made up $118.5 million, a 15.8% share of total income, while income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $80.5 million, or 10.7% of the total.
Compared to the previous year, Carter County's reliance on government transfers decreased by 3.8%.
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 8.2% (or $2,016 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970 to 17.6% (or $11,529 per capita) in 2022 nationwide.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers (%) | Medicare Transfers (%) | Medicaid Transfers (%) | Income Maintenance Transfers (%) | Per Capita Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 1 | 38% | 32.22% | 43.5% | 29% | 10.1% | 7% | $16,947 |
| Decatur County | 2 | 33.61% | 23.13% | 34.5% | 31.4% | 16% | 9.2% | $16,553 |
| Fentress County | 3 | 39.47% | 22.97% | 32% | 28.5% | 18.2% | 11% | $16,457 |
| Unicoi County | 4 | 37% | 23.73% | 32.9% | 28% | 16.5% | 8.3% | $15,735 |
| Benton County | 5 | 38.18% | 24.16% | 36.1% | 28.4% | 15.2% | 9.9% | $15,599 |
| Greene County | 6 | 36.25% | 22% | 33.9% | 28.5% | 20% | 8.6% | $15,324 |
| Pickett County | 7 | 36.57% | 28.32% | 38.2% | 26.9% | 13.9% | 9.2% | $15,310 |
| Cocke County | 8 | 37.19% | 21.87% | 33.6% | 25.8% | 17.9% | 12.5% | $15,152 |
| Carroll County | 9 | 37.32% | 20% | 33.4% | 29.4% | 16.2% | 10% | $15,132 |
| Stewart County | 10 | 31% | 20.81% | 31.3% | 24.2% | 12.7% | 8.4% | $15,122 |
| Houston County | 11 | 38% | 20.92% | 30.2% | 29.4% | 16.2% | 10.2% | $14,918 |
| Campbell County | 12 | 35.46% | 20.63% | 31.5% | 25.1% | 19.4% | 12.6% | $14,913 |
| McNairy County | 13 | 38.76% | 20.72% | 33.6% | 29.2% | 17.2% | 10.7% | $14,866 |
| Grundy County | 14 | 38.53% | 20.48% | 33.6% | 23.6% | 19.6% | 13.6% | $14,822 |
| Scott County | 15 | 39.55% | 17.35% | 27.6% | 28.6% | 21.2% | 13.9% | $14,817 |
| Claiborne County | 16 | 35.19% | 20.29% | 32.9% | 27.7% | 18% | 11.1% | $14,809 |
| Henry County | 17 | 28.1% | 23.85% | 37.4% | 27.2% | 12.8% | 10.6% | $14,703 |
| Johnson County | 18 | 37.88% | 23.84% | 35.9% | 28.9% | 13.4% | 10.7% | $14,596 |
| Hardin County | 19 | 32.78% | 23.78% | 36.1% | 26.2% | 17.7% | 10.9% | $14,513 |
| Loudon County | 20 | 21.49% | 27.76% | 44.8% | 30.3% | 9.2% | 6.2% | $14,420 |
| Roane County | 21 | 28.57% | 23.62% | 38.6% | 27.9% | 14.6% | 8.2% | $14,340 |
| White County | 22 | 34.13% | 20.67% | 34.6% | 26.9% | 15.8% | 10.5% | $14,158 |
| Lake County | 23 | 46.35% | 17.12% | 24.3% | 31.5% | 23.1% | 15.1% | $14,093 |
| Obion County | 24 | 28.69% | 21% | 36.3% | 29.3% | 15.1% | 11.2% | $14,054 |
| Clay County | 25 | 33.91% | 25.37% | 35.4% | 25.5% | 16.5% | 11.9% | $14,046 |
| Hancock County | 26 | 43.58% | 22.67% | 25.6% | 27.5% | 22.1% | 16.1% | $13,869 |
| Hawkins County | 27 | 33.61% | 21.75% | 39.8% | 24.1% | 15.7% | 10.3% | $13,825 |
| Rhea County | 28 | 31.54% | 19.18% | 33.5% | 25.5% | 18.9% | 11.6% | $13,688 |
| Marion County | 29 | 28.68% | 21.33% | 37.2% | 29.2% | 14.9% | 10.7% | $13,654 |
| Humphreys County | 30 | 30.48% | 20.29% | 36% | 27.6% | 16% | 9.2% | $13,582 |
| Sullivan County | 31 | 26.54% | 22.17% | 39.9% | 27.2% | 13.2% | 9.3% | $13,561 |
| Gibson County | 32 | 29.44% | 17.5% | 32.8% | 27.7% | 19.5% | 10.9% | $13,559 |
| Monroe County | 33 | 32.61% | 22% | 38.2% | 27% | 14.3% | 10.6% | $13,500 |
| Hardeman County | 34 | 38.69% | 18.57% | 31.8% | 26.6% | 20% | 14.1% | $13,451 |
| Sequatchie County | 35 | 29.16% | 21.42% | 36.8% | 24.2% | 14.6% | 10.4% | $13,432 |
| Warren County | 36 | 32% | 17.98% | 32.8% | 28% | 17.1% | 12.1% | $13,410 |
| Haywood County | 37 | 35.62% | 20.96% | 33.5% | 24.8% | 18.5% | 15.8% | $13,367 |
| Dyer County | 38 | 26.24% | 17.91% | 33.2% | 26.5% | 17.1% | 13.4% | $13,347 |
| Carter County | 39 | 32.99% | 22.68% | 36.4% | 26% | 15.8% | 10.7% | $13,321 |
| Van Buren County | 40 | 36.79% | 23.97% | 37.3% | 24.4% | 19.5% | 9.5% | $13,232 |
| Giles County | 41 | 29.46% | 21% | 36.5% | 27.9% | 13.9% | 9.9% | $13,151 |
| Meigs County | 42 | 32.98% | 21.53% | 36% | 24.1% | 16.3% | 12% | $13,144 |
| Jackson County | 43 | 35.2% | 23.37% | 37.4% | 26.3% | 14.8% | 11.1% | $13,108 |
| Grainger County | 44 | 30.68% | 21.56% | 36.4% | 27% | 15.6% | 11.2% | $13,012 |
| Lawrence County | 45 | 30.76% | 17.6% | 33.4% | 29% | 16% | 10.3% | $12,973 |
| Madison County | 46 | 24.77% | 18% | 32.7% | 23.4% | 20.8% | 12.9% | $12,950 |
| Coffee County | 47 | 27.48% | 17.57% | 33.7% | 27.8% | 16.5% | 10.4% | $12,890 |
| Jefferson County | 48 | 28.73% | 20.67% | 37.5% | 23.2% | 17.9% | 9.7% | $12,877 |
| McMinn County | 49 | 29.65% | 20.36% | 36.6% | 25.4% | 15.5% | 10.7% | $12,873 |
| Hamblen County | 50 | 27.51% | 17.5% | 34.7% | 26% | 17.8% | 10.9% | $12,864 |
| Lauderdale County | 51 | 32.39% | 16.65% | 30.5% | 28.9% | 17.6% | 15.3% | $12,862 |
| Crockett County | 52 | 27.23% | 19.15% | 34.4% | 25.8% | 17.7% | 12.1% | $12,859 |
| Anderson County | 53 | 24.92% | 20.11% | 37.7% | 26.1% | 17% | 9.9% | $12,818 |
| Weakley County | 54 | 28% | 18.43% | 33.7% | 26.8% | 18.3% | 10% | $12,807 |
| Lincoln County | 55 | 26.25% | 20% | 36.7% | 27.4% | 12.5% | 10% | $12,801 |
| Perry County | 56 | 35.88% | 21.44% | 35.3% | 25.1% | 16.8% | 10.7% | $12,741 |
| Putnam County | 57 | 26.29% | 16.41% | 32.5% | 26.7% | 18% | 9.8% | $12,695 |
| Wayne County | 58 | 34% | 19.45% | 35.9% | 28.7% | 14.9% | 9.9% | $12,458 |
| Overton County | 59 | 31.58% | 20.38% | 37.6% | 26.2% | 13.4% | 11% | $12,455 |
| Henderson County | 60 | 26.92% | 19% | 34.2% | 26.6% | 17.6% | 11.9% | $12,444 |
| DeKalb County | 61 | 25.66% | 18.89% | 35% | 27% | 17.1% | 11.7% | $12,390 |
| Lewis County | 62 | 29.6% | 21% | 32.9% | 25.7% | 17.3% | 11.2% | $12,333 |
| Franklin County | 63 | 26.45% | 20.67% | 39.2% | 27% | 13.1% | 9.2% | $12,305 |
| Polk County | 64 | 30% | 20.98% | 37.1% | 26.8% | 13.3% | 10.2% | $12,256 |
| Washington County | 65 | 22.94% | 19% | 36.9% | 24.6% | 15.4% | 8.8% | $12,248 |
| Sevier County | 66 | 23.21% | 20.61% | 38.7% | 27.4% | 12.4% | 9.2% | $12,198 |
| Union County | 67 | 29.67% | 18.9% | 36.1% | 21.4% | 19.7% | 13.2% | $12,124 |
| Fayette County | 68 | 16.32% | 23.14% | 41.9% | 29.7% | 10.8% | 8.9% | $12,000 |
| Dickson County | 69 | 22.74% | 16.74% | 34.3% | 26.3% | 16.8% | 9.5% | $11,745 |
| Hickman County | 70 | 27.36% | 18% | 34.5% | 27% | 15.4% | 11.5% | $11,646 |
| Bradley County | 71 | 24.55% | 17.48% | 36.9% | 26.5% | 15.7% | 10.6% | $11,568 |
| Blount County | 72 | 21.59% | 21.15% | 41.9% | 27% | 12% | 7.9% | $11,515 |
| Hamilton County | 73 | 18.91% | 18.39% | 36.2% | 26.1% | 15.1% | 10.4% | $11,478 |
| Cannon County | 74 | 26% | 18.19% | 38.1% | 24.7% | 14.7% | 10.9% | $11,469 |
| Morgan County | 75 | 30.7% | 19% | 39.9% | 22.4% | 15.9% | 12.2% | $11,358 |
| Chester County | 76 | 27.49% | 17.15% | 36.7% | 25.2% | 14.7% | 12.2% | $11,186 |
| Moore County | 77 | 22.88% | 22% | 40.5% | 21% | 9.5% | 7.6% | $11,126 |
| Macon County | 78 | 27.77% | 15.84% | 33% | 25.3% | 18.7% | 13.9% | $11,067 |
| Maury County | 79 | 20.86% | 17.23% | 37.3% | 27.2% | 14.3% | 9.1% | $11,045 |
| Tipton County | 80 | 22.48% | 15.79% | 34.4% | 25.6% | 13.1% | 12.2% | $10,983 |
| Bledsoe County | 81 | 31.53% | 21.39% | 37.2% | 25.4% | 15.8% | 12.4% | $10,981 |
| Shelby County | 82 | 18.61% | 14.79% | 30.1% | 23.4% | 17.6% | 18.7% | $10,933 |
| Smith County | 83 | 22.75% | 17.18% | 36.9% | 25.5% | 15.5% | 11.5% | $10,931 |
| Cheatham County | 84 | 19.54% | 16.23% | 38.3% | 27.5% | 14% | 8.2% | $10,800 |
| Marshall County | 85 | 22.37% | 16.53% | 36.3% | 27.8% | 14.7% | 10.4% | $10,787 |
| Bedford County | 86 | 22.14% | 14.84% | 34.6% | 24.5% | 16.7% | 13.2% | $10,482 |
| Robertson County | 87 | 19.72% | 15.11% | 36.2% | 28.3% | 12.8% | 10.1% | $10,318 |
| Knox County | 88 | 16% | 16.26% | 37.4% | 25.9% | 14.7% | 9.8% | $10,209 |
| Montgomery County | 89 | 20.54% | 9.97% | 23.9% | 15.8% | 12.5% | 11.8% | $10,051 |
| Sumner County | 90 | 15.4% | 16.69% | 40.6% | 27.3% | 12.3% | 8.8% | $9,598 |
| Wilson County | 91 | 14.25% | 15.94% | 41.4% | 27% | 12.2% | 7.5% | $9,282 |
| Trousdale County | 92 | 23.77% | 12.93% | 33.1% | 30.2% | 16.2% | 11.5% | $8,910 |
| Davidson County | 93 | 10.22% | 13% | 32.1% | 25.1% | 18.9% | 13.3% | $8,747 |
| Rutherford County | 94 | 14.86% | 11.17% | 34.9% | 23.5% | 15.2% | 11.9% | $7,678 |
| Williamson County | 95 | 5.71% | 14.76% | 49.7% | 28.7% | 6% | 4.6% | $6,852 |
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