In 2022, Social Security transfers in Unicoi County totaled $91.4 million, amounting to $5,171 per capita, or 32.9% of total government transfers, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.
Among all government transfer programs, Social Security was the largest contributor in the county. Medicare was the second largest contributor, totaling $77.89 million, equating to $4,407 per capita and making up 28% of total transfers.
Comparatively, Social Security transfers across Tennessee amounted to $27.93 billion, ranking highest among all transfer types within the state. This translates to an average of $3,960 per capita, or 35.3% of total government transfers. Including all transfer types, government transfer payments totaled $79.04 billion, accounting for 19.2% of residents’ total income, with an average of $11,209 per resident.
Medicaid was the third largest contributor in Unicoi County in 2022, accounting for $45.78 million, averaging $2,590 per capita, representing 16.5% of transfers. Income Maintenance transfers provided another $23.1 million, averaging $1,307 per capita and comprising 8.3% of government support, making them the smallest contributors.
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).
With 23.7% of the population aged 65 and older, Unicoi County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Despite this aid, the total per capita income in Unicoi County, excluding government transfers was $26,690, which is far below the county’s total income of $42,425, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Unicoi County saw an increase in its Social Security transfer dependency by 1%, reflecting both rising transfer amounts and stagnating or insufficient other sources of income.
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 $2,022 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970 to 17.6% (or $11,542 per capita) in 2022 nationwide. In Unicoi County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 14.6% (or $2,346 per capita) in 1970 to 37.1% (or $15,735 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | Rank | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers (%) | Medicare Transfers (%) | Medicaid Transfers (%) | Income Maintenance Transfers (%) | Per Capita Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 1 | 18.6% | 14.8% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | $10,933 |
| Davidson County | 2 | 10.2% | 13% | 3.3% | 2.6% | 1.9% | 1.4% | $8,747 |
| Knox County | 3 | 16.1% | 16.3% | 6% | 4.2% | 2.4% | 1.6% | $10,209 |
| Hamilton County | 4 | 18.9% | 18.4% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 2.9% | 2% | $11,478 |
| Rutherford County | 5 | 14.9% | 11.2% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.8% | $7,678 |
| Montgomery County | 6 | 20.5% | 10% | 4.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.4% | $10,051 |
| Sullivan County | 7 | 26.5% | 22.2% | 10.6% | 7.2% | 3.5% | 2.5% | $13,561 |
| Sumner County | 8 | 15.4% | 16.7% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 1.4% | $9,598 |
| Williamson County | 9 | 5.7% | 14.8% | 2.8% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% | $6,852 |
| Washington County | 10 | 22.9% | 19.1% | 8.5% | 5.6% | 3.5% | 2% | $12,248 |
| Blount County | 11 | 21.6% | 21.2% | 9.1% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 1.7% | $11,515 |
| Wilson County | 12 | 14.3% | 15.9% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 1.7% | 1.1% | $9,282 |
| Madison County | 13 | 24.8% | 18% | 8.1% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 3.2% | $12,950 |
| Bradley County | 14 | 24.6% | 17.5% | 9% | 6.5% | 3.9% | 2.6% | $11,568 |
| Sevier County | 15 | 23.2% | 20.6% | 9% | 6.4% | 2.9% | 2.1% | $12,198 |
| Maury County | 16 | 20.9% | 17.2% | 7.8% | 5.7% | 3% | 1.9% | $11,045 |
| Greene County | 17 | 36.3% | 22.1% | 12.3% | 10.3% | 7.2% | 3.1% | $15,324 |
| Cumberland County | 18 | 38.1% | 32.2% | 16.5% | 11% | 3.8% | 2.7% | $16,947 |
| Putnam County | 19 | 26.3% | 16.4% | 8.5% | 7% | 4.7% | 2.6% | $12,695 |
| Anderson County | 20 | 24.9% | 20.1% | 9.4% | 6.5% | 4.2% | 2.5% | $12,818 |
| Loudon County | 21 | 21.5% | 27.8% | 9.6% | 6.5% | 2% | 1.3% | $14,420 |
| Hamblen County | 22 | 27.5% | 17.5% | 9.5% | 7.1% | 4.9% | 3% | $12,864 |
| Hawkins County | 23 | 33.6% | 21.8% | 13.4% | 8.1% | 5.3% | 3.5% | $13,825 |
| Roane County | 24 | 28.6% | 23.6% | 11% | 8% | 4.2% | 2.4% | $14,340 |
| Robertson County | 25 | 19.7% | 15.1% | 7.1% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 2% | $10,318 |
| Coffee County | 26 | 27.5% | 17.6% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 4.5% | 2.9% | $12,890 |
| Carter County | 27 | 33% | 22.7% | 12% | 8.6% | 5.2% | 3.5% | $13,321 |
| Jefferson County | 28 | 28.7% | 20.7% | 10.8% | 6.7% | 5.1% | 2.8% | $12,877 |
| McMinn County | 29 | 29.7% | 20.4% | 10.9% | 7.5% | 4.6% | 3.2% | $12,873 |
| Gibson County | 30 | 29.4% | 17.5% | 9.7% | 8.2% | 5.7% | 3.2% | $13,559 |
| Tipton County | 31 | 22.5% | 15.8% | 7.7% | 5.8% | 3% | 2.7% | $10,983 |
| Dickson County | 32 | 22.7% | 16.7% | 7.8% | 6% | 3.8% | 2.2% | $11,745 |
| Monroe County | 33 | 32.6% | 22.1% | 12.5% | 8.8% | 4.7% | 3.5% | $13,500 |
| Campbell County | 34 | 35.5% | 20.6% | 11.2% | 8.9% | 6.9% | 4.5% | $14,913 |
| Lawrence County | 35 | 30.8% | 17.6% | 10.3% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 3.2% | $12,973 |
| Warren County | 36 | 32.1% | 18% | 10.5% | 9% | 5.5% | 3.9% | $13,410 |
| Cocke County | 37 | 37.2% | 21.9% | 12.5% | 9.6% | 6.7% | 4.7% | $15,152 |
| Bedford County | 38 | 22.1% | 14.8% | 7.7% | 5.4% | 3.7% | 2.9% | $10,482 |
| Franklin County | 39 | 26.5% | 20.7% | 10.4% | 7.1% | 3.5% | 2.4% | $12,305 |
| Fayette County | 40 | 16.3% | 23.1% | 6.8% | 4.8% | 1.8% | 1.4% | $12,000 |
| Dyer County | 41 | 26.2% | 17.9% | 8.7% | 7% | 4.5% | 3.5% | $13,347 |
| Claiborne County | 42 | 35.2% | 20.3% | 11.6% | 9.7% | 6.3% | 3.9% | $14,809 |
| Henry County | 43 | 28.1% | 23.9% | 10.5% | 7.6% | 3.6% | 3% | $14,703 |
| Rhea County | 44 | 31.5% | 19.2% | 10.6% | 8.1% | 6% | 3.6% | $13,688 |
| Lincoln County | 45 | 26.3% | 20.1% | 9.6% | 7.2% | 3.3% | 2.6% | $12,801 |
| Cheatham County | 46 | 19.5% | 16.2% | 7.5% | 5.4% | 2.7% | 1.6% | $10,800 |
| Carroll County | 47 | 37.3% | 20.1% | 12.5% | 11% | 6.1% | 3.7% | $15,132 |
| Obion County | 48 | 28.7% | 21% | 10.4% | 8.4% | 4.3% | 3.2% | $14,054 |
| Weakley County | 49 | 28% | 18.4% | 9.4% | 7.5% | 5.1% | 2.8% | $12,807 |
| Giles County | 50 | 29.5% | 21.1% | 10.8% | 8.2% | 4.1% | 2.9% | $13,151 |
| White County | 51 | 34.1% | 20.7% | 11.8% | 9.2% | 5.4% | 3.6% | $14,158 |
| Marion County | 52 | 28.7% | 21.3% | 10.7% | 8.4% | 4.3% | 3.1% | $13,654 |
| Hardin County | 53 | 32.8% | 23.8% | 11.8% | 8.6% | 5.8% | 3.6% | $14,513 |
| Marshall County | 54 | 22.4% | 16.5% | 8.1% | 6.2% | 3.3% | 2.3% | $10,787 |
| McNairy County | 55 | 38.8% | 20.7% | 13% | 11.3% | 6.7% | 4.2% | $14,866 |
| Henderson County | 56 | 26.9% | 19.1% | 9.2% | 7.2% | 4.7% | 3.2% | $12,444 |
| Hardeman County | 57 | 38.7% | 18.6% | 12.3% | 10.3% | 7.7% | 5.4% | $13,451 |
| Scott County | 58 | 39.6% | 17.4% | 10.9% | 11.3% | 8.4% | 5.5% | $14,817 |
| Lauderdale County | 59 | 32.4% | 16.7% | 9.9% | 9.4% | 5.7% | 5% | $12,862 |
| Fentress County | 60 | 39.5% | 23% | 12.6% | 11.2% | 7.2% | 4.3% | $16,457 |
| Grainger County | 61 | 30.7% | 21.6% | 11.2% | 8.3% | 4.8% | 3.4% | $13,012 |
| Hickman County | 62 | 27.4% | 18.1% | 9.4% | 7.4% | 4.2% | 3.1% | $11,646 |
| Macon County | 63 | 27.8% | 15.8% | 9.2% | 7% | 5.2% | 3.9% | $11,067 |
| Overton County | 64 | 31.6% | 20.4% | 11.9% | 8.3% | 4.2% | 3.5% | $12,455 |
| Unicoi County | 65 | 37.1% | 23.7% | 12.2% | 10.4% | 6.1% | 3.1% | $15,735 |
| Johnson County | 66 | 37.9% | 23.8% | 13.6% | 10.9% | 5.1% | 4.1% | $14,596 |
| DeKalb County | 67 | 25.7% | 18.9% | 9% | 6.9% | 4.4% | 3% | $12,390 |
| Humphreys County | 68 | 30.5% | 20.3% | 11% | 8.4% | 4.9% | 2.8% | $13,582 |
| Benton County | 69 | 38.2% | 24.2% | 13.8% | 10.8% | 5.8% | 3.8% | $15,599 |
| Union County | 70 | 29.7% | 18.9% | 10.7% | 6.4% | 5.8% | 3.9% | $12,124 |
| Morgan County | 71 | 30.7% | 19.1% | 12.2% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 3.8% | $11,358 |
| Haywood County | 72 | 35.6% | 21% | 11.9% | 8.8% | 6.6% | 5.6% | $13,367 |
| Sequatchie County | 73 | 29.2% | 21.4% | 10.7% | 7.1% | 4.3% | 3% | $13,432 |
| Smith County | 74 | 22.8% | 17.2% | 8.4% | 5.8% | 3.5% | 2.6% | $10,931 |
| Polk County | 75 | 30.1% | 21% | 11.2% | 8.1% | 4% | 3.1% | $12,256 |
| Stewart County | 76 | 31.1% | 20.8% | 9.7% | 7.5% | 4% | 2.6% | $15,122 |
| Grundy County | 77 | 38.5% | 20.5% | 13% | 9.1% | 7.6% | 5.2% | $14,822 |
| Wayne County | 78 | 34.1% | 19.5% | 12.2% | 9.8% | 5.1% | 3.4% | $12,458 |
| Chester County | 79 | 27.5% | 17.2% | 10.1% | 6.9% | 4% | 3.4% | $11,186 |
| Decatur County | 80 | 33.6% | 23.1% | 11.6% | 10.5% | 5.4% | 3.1% | $16,553 |
| Crockett County | 81 | 27.2% | 19.2% | 9.4% | 7% | 4.8% | 3.3% | $12,859 |
| Meigs County | 82 | 33% | 21.5% | 11.9% | 7.9% | 5.4% | 4% | $13,144 |
| Cannon County | 83 | 26.1% | 18.2% | 9.9% | 6.5% | 3.8% | 2.8% | $11,469 |
| Bledsoe County | 84 | 31.5% | 21.4% | 11.7% | 8% | 5% | 3.9% | $10,981 |
| Lewis County | 85 | 29.6% | 21.1% | 9.7% | 7.6% | 5.1% | 3.3% | $12,333 |
| Jackson County | 86 | 35.2% | 23.4% | 13.2% | 9.2% | 5.2% | 3.9% | $13,108 |
| Houston County | 87 | 38.1% | 20.9% | 11.5% | 11.2% | 6.2% | 3.9% | $14,918 |
| Perry County | 88 | 35.9% | 21.4% | 12.7% | 9% | 6% | 3.8% | $12,741 |
| Trousdale County | 89 | 23.8% | 12.9% | 7.9% | 7.2% | 3.8% | 2.7% | $8,910 |
| Clay County | 90 | 33.9% | 25.4% | 12% | 8.6% | 5.6% | 4% | $14,046 |
| Hancock County | 91 | 43.6% | 22.7% | 11.1% | 12% | 9.6% | 7% | $13,869 |
| Lake County | 92 | 46.4% | 17.1% | 11.3% | 14.6% | 10.7% | 7% | $14,093 |
| Van Buren County | 93 | 36.8% | 24% | 13.7% | 9% | 7.2% | 3.5% | $13,232 |
| Pickett County | 94 | 36.6% | 28.3% | 14% | 9.9% | 5.1% | 3.4% | $15,310 |
| Moore County | 95 | 22.9% | 22.1% | 9.3% | 4.8% | 2.2% | 1.7% | $11,126 |
