John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
Among Mississippi’s counties, Issaquena County saw the largest increase in transfer dependency over the past 10 years, surging 9% from 24.6% in 2012 to 33.6% in 2022, and up 22.5% from just 11.1% in 1970. In dollar terms, government transfers per capita in Issaquena County jumped from $7,152 in 2012 to $8,237 in 2022, a stark contrast to the $1,232 recorded in 1970.
Sharkey County followed with the second-largest increase in transfer dependency, increasing 6.8% from 37.7% in 2012 to 44.5% in 2022, and an overall increase of 26.4% from 1970’s 18.1% transfer dependency. This trend is reflected in per capita amounts, with residents of Sharkey County receiving an average of $20,533 in transfer income in 2022, up from $14,658 in 2012 and more than double the $1,232 recorded in 1970.
Additionally, Holmes County had the highest percentage of income derived from government transfers, at 53.3% in 2022, making it the county with the highest overall transfer dependency. Quitman County and Claiborne County followed closely behind, with transfer dependency rates of 50% and 46.7% in 2022, respectively.
Compared to 1970, Holmes County increased by 30.6%, while Quitman County and Claiborne County have increased by 34.9% and 32.7%, respectively, showing sustained reliance on government transfers. Residents in Holmes County received an average of $18,081 in transfers per capita, with Quitman County and Claiborne County close behind at $19,109 and $16,329, respectively.
For comparison, the statewide average was 25.8% in 2022, showing a higher dependency than the national average of 17.6%. On a per capita level, this translates to $11,984 per resident in 2022, compared to $11,542 nationwide.
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 Mississippi, reliance on government transfers was just 10.5% (or $1,693 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970. This has since increased to 25.8% (or $11,984 per capita) in 2022, reflecting a total increase of 15.3% since 1970. This shift is largely influenced by increased healthcare costs, and economic transformations that have reshaped income sources across the U.S.
In 2022, the primary government transfer programs in Mississippi included:
- Social Security: $4,023 (33.6% of total transfers)
- Medicare: $3,126 (26.1% of total transfers)
- Medicaid: $2,010 (16.8% of total transfers)
- Income Maintenance Programs: $1,452 (12.1% of total transfers)
With 17.2% of the population aged 65 and older, Mississippi has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. However, counties with higher poverty rates also show elevated Medicaid and income maintenance participation.
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 Mississippi, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 10.5% (or $1,693 per capita) in 1970 to 25.8% (or $11,984 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 | Dependency on Transfers (%) | Change Since 2012 | Change Since 1970 | Per Capita Amount (2022) | Per Capita Change Since 2012 | Per Capita Change Since 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 32.9% | 2.8% | 22.1% | $14,964 | $2,961 | $13,210 |
| Alcorn County | 30.3% | -0.3% | 18.8% | $13,637 | $2,056 | $11,803 |
| Amite County | 32.6% | -1.3% | 19.7% | $12,498 | $1,182 | $10,969 |
| Attala County | 34% | 4% | 17.7% | $14,630 | $3,418 | $12,469 |
| Benton County | 34.9% | 0.1% | 23.8% | $14,478 | $3,431 | $13,096 |
| Bolivar County | 34.3% | 2% | 19.8% | $16,081 | $3,410 | $14,237 |
| Calhoun County | 37.3% | 2% | 22.5% | $15,069 | $2,978 | $13,076 |
| Carroll County | 29.9% | 1.2% | 17.4% | $12,902 | $1,867 | $11,343 |
| Chickasaw County | 35.4% | 4.8% | 21.6% | $13,805 | $2,572 | $11,750 |
| Choctaw County | 31.4% | -1.7% | 17.2% | $12,835 | $1,903 | $10,999 |
| Claiborne County | 46.7% | 5.9% | 32.7% | $16,329 | $1,966 | $14,400 |
| Clarke County | 34.4% | 4.4% | 17.4% | $14,748 | $2,499 | $12,554 |
| Clay County | 30.6% | 3.9% | 20.1% | $14,565 | $3,556 | $12,944 |
| Coahoma County | 41.4% | 2.4% | 26.1% | $17,951 | $3,771 | $16,005 |
| Copiah County | 34.5% | 3.5% | 19.5% | $13,493 | $2,074 | $11,587 |
| Covington County | 30.7% | 0.7% | 15.3% | $13,747 | $2,972 | $11,683 |
| DeSoto County | 15.2% | 0.2% | 8.5% | $7,942 | $1,409 | $6,755 |
| Forrest County | 26.6% | 2% | 16.2% | $11,254 | $1,020 | $9,471 |
| Franklin County | 38.4% | 6.1% | 21.3% | $15,357 | $3,260 | $13,354 |
| George County | 26.8% | 2.9% | 16.2% | $10,384 | $1,509 | $8,813 |
| Greene County | 35.5% | 6% | 18% | $11,585 | $2,778 | $9,660 |
| Grenada County | 34% | 1% | 21.7% | $14,483 | $1,975 | $12,562 |
| Hancock County | 26.1% | 3.3% | 18.2% | $11,584 | $2,509 | $10,129 |
| Harrison County | 25.1% | 3.4% | 19.2% | $11,576 | $2,358 | $10,257 |
| Hinds County | 26.2% | 4.9% | 19% | $12,290 | $2,661 | $10,739 |
| Holmes County | 53.3% | 4.9% | 30.6% | $18,081 | $2,869 | $15,611 |
| Humphreys County | 43.1% | 3.1% | 26.6% | $17,002 | $3,926 | $14,865 |
| Issaquena County | 33.6% | 9% | 22.5% | $8,237 | $1,085 | $7,005 |
| Itawamba County | 28.5% | -1.8% | 18% | $11,704 | $327 | $10,210 |
| Jackson County | 22.9% | 2.3% | 17.3% | $10,527 | $1,744 | $9,500 |
| Jasper County | 30.4% | 0.6% | 13.3% | $14,319 | $2,628 | $12,320 |
| Jefferson County | 41.1% | 3% | 19.7% | $15,483 | $2,239 | $13,466 |
| Jefferson Davis County | 42.2% | 4.3% | 27% | $15,237 | $3,287 | $13,425 |
| Jones County | 30% | 2.1% | 18.5% | $13,808 | $1,994 | $11,963 |
| Kemper County | 41.3% | 1.3% | 26.1% | $15,289 | $2,561 | $13,744 |
| Lafayette County | 17.9% | -0.9% | 10.2% | $8,882 | $980 | $7,766 |
| Lamar County | 18.2% | 2.1% | 5.8% | $8,830 | $2,051 | $6,918 |
| Lauderdale County | 28% | 3.8% | 17.8% | $13,183 | $2,976 | $11,140 |
| Lawrence County | 38.2% | 3.1% | 18.5% | $16,861 | $3,827 | $14,529 |
| Leake County | 31% | -0.8% | 14.6% | $12,941 | $2,931 | $10,922 |
| Lee County | 22.1% | 0.6% | 13.4% | $11,513 | $2,320 | $9,831 |
| Leflore County | 32.1% | 0.6% | 20% | $15,010 | $2,392 | $13,193 |
| Lincoln County | 27.3% | 1.7% | 15% | $12,191 | $1,652 | $10,399 |
| Lowndes County | 25.2% | 3% | 17.6% | $12,182 | $2,484 | $10,762 |
| Madison County | 11.5% | 0.5% | -1.2% | $9,109 | $1,717 | $7,287 |
| Marion County | 35.2% | 0.5% | 20% | $14,633 | $2,769 | $12,575 |
| Marshall County | 29.8% | 0.6% | 18.8% | $12,720 | $2,741 | $11,272 |
| Monroe County | 30.2% | 1% | 20% | $13,099 | $2,249 | $11,487 |
| Montgomery County | 39.2% | 2.1% | 21% | $16,241 | $3,290 | $13,772 |
| Neshoba County | 28% | 2.7% | 15.2% | $12,760 | $2,183 | $11,030 |
| Newton County | 31.4% | -0.7% | 14.9% | $12,638 | $654 | $10,283 |
| Noxubee County | 38.6% | 4% | 24.6% | $15,627 | $3,356 | $14,068 |
| Oktibbeha County | 22.1% | 1.4% | 13.2% | $8,640 | $1,242 | $7,327 |
| Panola County | 32.5% | 3.1% | 19.1% | $13,115 | $2,426 | $11,371 |
| Pearl River County | 28.6% | 1.7% | 18.6% | $12,335 | $1,473 | $10,811 |
| Perry County | 31.8% | -1.6% | 16.8% | $11,539 | $183 | $9,883 |
| Pike County | 37% | 4.5% | 20.1% | $13,429 | $2,102 | $10,993 |
| Pontotoc County | 25% | 0.4% | 12.2% | $10,355 | $1,412 | $8,622 |
| Prentiss County | 32.2% | -0.2% | 18.9% | $12,078 | $1,268 | $10,334 |
| Quitman County | 50% | 3.7% | 34.9% | $19,109 | $4,917 | $17,377 |
| Rankin County | 18.1% | 1.3% | 12.1% | $9,722 | $1,458 | $8,736 |
| Scott County | 32% | 0% | 18.2% | $12,312 | $2,063 | $10,376 |
| Sharkey County | 44.5% | 6.8% | 26.4% | $20,533 | $5,875 | $18,454 |
| Simpson County | 33.9% | 3.2% | 23% | $15,375 | $3,262 | $13,543 |
| Smith County | 27.5% | -2.2% | 15.4% | $12,989 | $2,338 | $11,453 |
| Stone County | 33.4% | 2.2% | 22.4% | $13,135 | $1,914 | $11,345 |
| Sunflower County | 38.1% | 3.7% | 24.8% | $13,262 | $2,111 | $11,525 |
| Tallahatchie County | 35.3% | 2.2% | 18% | $13,576 | $2,883 | $11,605 |
| Tate County | 26.6% | -0.7% | 18.1% | $11,544 | $1,334 | $10,288 |
| Tippah County | 31.3% | -1% | 17.1% | $13,393 | $1,955 | $11,434 |
| Tishomingo County | 32.7% | -1.1% | 17.7% | $13,844 | $2,119 | $11,638 |
| Tunica County | 32.1% | 2% | 13.8% | $12,740 | $1,949 | $10,574 |
| Union County | 26.9% | 0% | 15% | $10,962 | $1,352 | $9,109 |
| Walthall County | 35.7% | 1.5% | 22.8% | $13,418 | $1,889 | $11,761 |
| Warren County | 27% | 3.6% | 18.6% | $13,001 | $2,772 | $11,380 |
| Washington County | 35% | 5% | 25.1% | $15,200 | $3,021 | $13,627 |
| Wayne County | 28.6% | 1.3% | 15.1% | $12,650 | $2,074 | $11,118 |
| Webster County | 34.3% | -0.9% | 20.1% | $15,024 | $1,409 | $13,119 |
| Wilkinson County | 41.4% | 6.7% | 28.9% | $14,708 | $3,299 | $13,229 |
| Winston County | 32.1% | -1.4% | 19.1% | $14,029 | $2,005 | $12,283 |
| Yalobusha County | 40.1% | 4.8% | 22.5% | $16,800 | $3,133 | $14,306 |
| Yazoo County | 34.7% | 3.3% | 21.1% | $12,157 | $1,817 | $10,206 |
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