John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
Among all government transfer programs, Medicaid was the second smallest contributor. Social Security was the largest, totaling $31.24 billion, equating to $3,598 per capita and making up 33.3% of total transfers.
Medicare was the second largest contributor in Virginia in 2022, accounting for $20.28 billion, averaging $2,335 per capita, and represented 21.6% of transfers in the state. Income Maintenance transfers provided another $9.35 billion, averaging $1,077 per capita and comprising 10% of government support, making them the smallest contributors.
Statewide, including all transfer types, government transfer payments totaled $93.88 billion, and accounted for 15.7% of residents’ total income, with an average of $10,811 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).
With 17% of the population aged 65 and older, Virginia has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. The total per capita income in Virginia, excluding government transfers was $58,174.4, which is noticeably below the county's total income of $68,985, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Virginia saw an increase in its Medicaid transfer dependency by 0.6%, 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 Virginia, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 5.6% (or $1,357 per capita) in 1970 to 15.7% (or $10,811 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | Rank | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers (%) | Medicare Transfers (%) | Medicaid Transfers (%) | Income Maintenance Transfers (%) | Per Capita Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 1 | 7.6% | 15.1% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.6% | $7,726 |
| Virginia Beach (Independent City) County | 2 | 16.3% | 15.9% | 5.2% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% | $10,750 |
| Prince William County | 3 | 12% | 11.3% | 3.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.4% | $7,645 |
| Chesterfield County | 4 | 15.9% | 16.1% | 6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.5% | $10,184 |
| Henrico County | 5 | 13.5% | 17% | 5% | 3.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | $10,380 |
| Richmond (Independent City) County | 6 | 17.5% | 14.1% | 4% | 3.1% | 6.7% | 2.3% | $12,417 |
| Norfolk (Independent City) County | 7 | 25.4% | 13% | 5.5% | 4.2% | 8.1% | 3.5% | $12,186 |
| Chesapeake (Independent City) County | 8 | 18.3% | 14.5% | 5.5% | 3.6% | 3.2% | 1.8% | $10,688 |
| Loudoun County | 9 | 5.7% | 10.8% | 2.1% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.5% | $5,534 |
| Newport News (Independent City) County | 10 | 25.5% | 14.1% | 6.6% | 4.7% | 6.4% | 3.8% | $11,968 |
| Campbell + Lynchburg County | 11 | 32.6% | 21.5% | 9.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% | 3.2% | $14,798 |
| Hampton (Independent City) County | 12 | 27.6% | 16.6% | 7.5% | 5% | 6.5% | 3.4% | $13,406 |
| Spotsylvania + Fredericksburg County | 13 | 16.4% | 15.2% | 5.1% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 1.7% | $10,267 |
| Pittsylvania + Danville County | 14 | 37.7% | 24.7% | 11.5% | 7.9% | 11% | 4.3% | $16,975 |
| Augusta County | 15 | 23.4% | 22.6% | 9.2% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 2.1% | $12,368 |
| Roanoke + Salem County | 16 | 21.3% | 22.1% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 3.3% | 1.4% | $12,598 |
| Albemarle + Charlottesville County | 17 | 10.5% | 20.5% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.9% | $9,527 |
| Roanoke (Independent City) County | 18 | 30.2% | 17.9% | 7.6% | 5.9% | 9.2% | 4% | $15,349 |
| Stafford County | 19 | 13.9% | 11.4% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.2% | $9,052 |
| Arlington County | 20 | 5.4% | 12.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.5% | $6,090 |
| Portsmouth (Independent City) County | 21 | 31.3% | 15.4% | 7.1% | 5.7% | 9.8% | 4.6% | $14,382 |
| Dinwiddie County | 22 | 37.9% | 19.2% | 9.2% | 8.7% | 10.8% | 4.6% | $17,388 |
| Rockingham + Harrisonburg County | 23 | 18.5% | 20.2% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 3.4% | 1.9% | $9,496 |
| James City + Williamsburg County | 24 | 17.4% | 26.7% | 7.4% | 4.7% | 1.4% | 1% | $13,205 |
| Suffolk (Independent City) County | 25 | 21.1% | 15.3% | 5.7% | 4.1% | 5% | 2.2% | $12,831 |
| Frederick + Winchester County | 26 | 16.5% | 18.8% | 6.4% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 1.5% | $10,260 |
| Alexandria (Independent City) County | 27 | 7.4% | 13% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.8% | $7,739 |
| Henry + Martinsville County | 28 | 38.4% | 24.8% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 10.9% | 4.2% | $18,234 |
| Hanover County | 29 | 14.2% | 19.2% | 6.3% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 0.9% | $10,262 |
| Washington + Bristol County | 30 | 32.1% | 24.7% | 11.8% | 7.7% | 6.4% | 3.3% | $14,979 |
| Bedford County | 31 | 23.6% | 23.2% | 9.7% | 5.5% | 3.9% | 1.7% | $12,940 |
| Montgomery + Radford County | 32 | 18.3% | 14.1% | 6.4% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 1.8% | $8,323 |
| York + Poquoson County | 33 | 14.3% | 17.7% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 1.4% | 1% | $9,728 |
| Franklin County | 34 | 26.4% | 24.8% | 10.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% | 2.3% | $13,880 |
| Prince George + Hopewell County | 35 | 28.5% | 13.2% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 6.5% | 3.8% | $11,315 |
| Wise + Norton County | 36 | 45.1% | 20% | 14.4% | 9.7% | 11.3% | 5.2% | $18,549 |
| Fauquier County | 37 | 11.5% | 17.4% | 4.7% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 0.8% | $9,494 |
| Tazewell County | 38 | 39.3% | 23.6% | 13.4% | 9% | 8.1% | 4.3% | $17,291 |
| Carroll + Galax County | 39 | 40.1% | 26.4% | 11.9% | 9.1% | 12.5% | 3.7% | $17,957 |
| Culpeper County | 40 | 19.4% | 16.8% | 6.9% | 4.5% | 4.1% | 1.8% | $10,828 |
| Shenandoah County | 41 | 22.3% | 22.2% | 8.5% | 5.5% | 4.3% | 2% | $12,657 |
| Halifax County | 42 | 37.7% | 25.8% | 12.2% | 8.1% | 10.4% | 4.1% | $16,787 |
| Accomack County | 43 | 29.1% | 26% | 10% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 3.2% | $15,776 |
| Mecklenburg County | 44 | 37.4% | 27.1% | 13% | 9.2% | 8.6% | 3.7% | $17,040 |
| Orange County | 45 | 22.9% | 20.5% | 8.5% | 6.2% | 3.4% | 1.8% | $13,473 |
| Gloucester County | 46 | 22.2% | 21.1% | 8.1% | 5.1% | 3.8% | 1.8% | $12,743 |
| Isle of Wight County | 47 | 19.5% | 20% | 7.2% | 4.3% | 3.3% | 1.5% | $12,467 |
| Pulaski County | 48 | 30.4% | 23.4% | 11.1% | 6.8% | 7.1% | 3% | $14,611 |
| Smyth County | 49 | 37% | 22.9% | 12.2% | 8.5% | 9.3% | 4.3% | $16,428 |
| Louisa County | 50 | 23.6% | 21% | 9.2% | 5.5% | 4.6% | 2.1% | $11,963 |
| Rockbridge County | 51 | 26.7% | 27.5% | 10.4% | 6.3% | 5% | 2.3% | $12,931 |
| Warren County | 52 | 19.9% | 17.3% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 1.9% | $11,183 |
| Amherst County | 53 | 32.4% | 22.2% | 11.4% | 7.8% | 7.6% | 3% | $14,496 |
| Russell County | 54 | 43% | 23.7% | 14.7% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 4.8% | $17,290 |
| Botetourt County | 55 | 21.5% | 24.1% | 8.8% | 5.1% | 3.3% | 1.4% | $12,819 |
| Wythe County | 56 | 34.2% | 22.3% | 11.8% | 8.5% | 7.4% | 3.4% | $15,223 |
| Southampton + Franklin County | 57 | 31.3% | 22.1% | 9.4% | 6.7% | 9.2% | 3.6% | $15,739 |
| Lee County | 58 | 47% | 23.2% | 13.7% | 8.9% | 14.5% | 6.3% | $18,105 |
| Buchanan County | 59 | 44.7% | 24.3% | 15.9% | 9.3% | 11.1% | 5.4% | $20,234 |
| Caroline County | 60 | 22.6% | 17.1% | 7.5% | 5.5% | 4.6% | 2.5% | $11,660 |
| Alleghany + Covington County | 61 | 38% | 26.2% | 12.4% | 9.3% | 8.6% | 3.5% | $17,584 |
| Scott County | 62 | 41.8% | 25.4% | 14.3% | 10.3% | 9.9% | 4.3% | $16,552 |
| Page County | 63 | 28.2% | 22.4% | 10.4% | 7% | 5.8% | 2.6% | $13,840 |
| Powhatan County | 64 | 14.5% | 20% | 6.9% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 0.9% | $9,860 |
| Prince Edward County | 65 | 35.2% | 16.9% | 10.3% | 8.6% | 8.9% | 3.8% | $13,925 |
| Fluvanna County | 66 | 20.3% | 21.5% | 9% | 4.9% | 2.8% | 1.5% | $10,816 |
| Goochland County | 67 | 9.8% | 24.5% | 5% | 2.3% | 1% | 0.5% | $11,441 |
| Patrick County | 68 | 39.5% | 27.3% | 13.8% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 3.9% | $15,903 |
| New Kent County | 69 | 10.9% | 18.4% | 4.5% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.7% | $11,160 |
| Westmoreland County | 70 | 29.3% | 27.5% | 10.6% | 7.7% | 5.4% | 3% | $14,822 |
| Dickenson County | 71 | 48.7% | 24.6% | 16.4% | 11.8% | 12.1% | 5% | $19,994 |
| Brunswick County | 72 | 41.1% | 22.3% | 11.6% | 8.7% | 12.7% | 4.6% | $16,903 |
| King George County | 73 | 14.8% | 14.4% | 4.6% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 1.4% | $9,471 |
| Nottoway County | 74 | 37.3% | 18.5% | 9.3% | 7.5% | 13.4% | 3.8% | $16,770 |
| Greensville + Emporia County | 75 | 39% | 16.5% | 10.5% | 7.8% | 13.1% | 5.1% | $15,317 |
| Nelson County | 76 | 26.9% | 29.5% | 10.6% | 7.2% | 5% | 2% | $17,399 |
| Giles County | 77 | 31.3% | 22.3% | 10.8% | 7.8% | 7.2% | 2.8% | $15,487 |
| Appomattox County | 78 | 30.8% | 21% | 10.2% | 7% | 7.6% | 3.3% | $14,139 |
| Northampton County | 79 | 30.9% | 29.9% | 9.6% | 6.5% | 9.5% | 3.1% | $19,870 |
| Buckingham County | 80 | 36.5% | 20.5% | 10.6% | 10.4% | 9.1% | 3.9% | $13,823 |
| Northumberland County | 81 | 30.7% | 37.2% | 12.8% | 9.5% | 4.2% | 2% | $18,848 |
| Grayson County | 82 | 38.1% | 25.9% | 14.2% | 7.7% | 9.5% | 3.7% | $14,843 |
| Greene County | 83 | 20.6% | 19% | 7.7% | 4.6% | 3.9% | 2% | $10,623 |
| Floyd County | 84 | 28.7% | 24.7% | 10.7% | 6.5% | 6.3% | 2.4% | $14,012 |
| King William County | 85 | 20.5% | 17% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 3.7% | 1.8% | $11,196 |
| Lancaster County | 86 | 25.6% | 38.6% | 11.7% | 6.2% | 3.9% | 1.9% | $18,546 |
| Middlesex County | 87 | 29.7% | 33.1% | 11.9% | 7.7% | 5.3% | 2.2% | $17,882 |
| Charlotte County | 88 | 37.5% | 22.7% | 11.7% | 9.9% | 8.6% | 4% | $16,976 |
| Amelia County | 89 | 25.8% | 21.2% | 9.3% | 6.1% | 5.7% | 2.3% | $13,668 |
| Clarke County | 90 | 14.8% | 23% | 6.4% | 3.9% | 2% | 0.8% | $11,532 |
| Essex County | 91 | 32% | 24.3% | 11% | 8.3% | 7% | 3.3% | $16,528 |
| Lunenburg County | 92 | 35.7% | 23.6% | 11.8% | 6.9% | 9.4% | 4.3% | $13,916 |
| Madison County | 93 | 20.4% | 23.2% | 8% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 1.8% | $11,540 |
| Sussex County | 94 | 38.2% | 19.5% | 11.4% | 8.8% | 10.8% | 4.4% | $14,413 |
| Mathews County | 95 | 25.3% | 32.6% | 10.2% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 1.5% | $17,198 |
| Cumberland County | 96 | 28.9% | 23.6% | 9.8% | 4.5% | 9% | 3.6% | $13,408 |
| Richmond County | 97 | 30% | 21.7% | 10.5% | 7% | 7.1% | 3.2% | $12,814 |
| King and Queen County | 98 | 26.1% | 24.2% | 10% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 2.6% | $14,439 |
| Surry County | 99 | 28.3% | 25.7% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 2.7% | $14,837 |
| Charles City County | 100 | 25.5% | 27% | 10.6% | 5.2% | 5.5% | 2.2% | $14,560 |
| Bland County | 101 | 35.5% | 25.5% | 13.7% | 8.7% | 6.8% | 2.4% | $15,123 |
| Rappahannock County | 102 | 14.8% | 28.9% | 7.3% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 1% | $11,764 |
| Bath County | 103 | 22.9% | 29.7% | 8.4% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 1.6% | $17,143 |
| Craig County | 104 | 28.8% | 25% | 11.5% | 6.1% | 5.4% | 2.6% | $13,628 |
| Highland County | 105 | 29% | 38.2% | 13.7% | 6.8% | 4.1% | 1.7% | $14,651 |
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