John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
Among Oklahoma’s counties, Beckham County and Woodward County saw the largest increase in transfer dependency over the past 10 years, surging 13.6% from 2012.
Jefferson County followed with the second-largest increase in transfer dependency, increasing 13% from 28.1% in 2012 to 41.1% in 2022, and an overall increase of 22.5% from 1970’s 18.6% transfer dependency. This trend is reflected in per capita amounts, with residents of Jefferson County receiving an average of $16,781 in transfer income in 2022, up from $11,555 in 2012 and more than double the $2,883 recorded in 1970.
Additionally, Pushmataha County and McIntosh County had the highest percentage of income derived from government transfers, at 43.1% in 2022, making them the counties with the highest overall transfer dependency. Choctaw County and Jefferson County followed closely behind, with transfer dependency rates of 41.8% and 41.1% in 2022, respectively.
For comparison, the statewide average was 20.7% in 2022, showing a higher dependency than the national average of 17.6%. On a per capita level, this translates to $11,654 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 Oklahoma, reliance on government transfers was just 9.9% (or $2,118 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970. This has since increased to 20.7% (or $11,654 per capita) in 2022, reflecting a total increase of 10.8% 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 Oklahoma included:
- Social Security: $3,727 (32% of total transfers)
- Medicare: $2,831 (24.3% of total transfers)
- Medicaid: $1,999 (17.2% of total transfers)
- Income Maintenance Programs: $1,441 (12.4% of total transfers)
With 16.3% of the population aged 65 and older, Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 9.9% (or $2,118 per capita) in 1970 to 20.7% (or $11,654 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 37.3% | 3.3% | 10.8% | $15,523 | $4,797 | $12,251 |
| Alfalfa County | 23.7% | 8.4% | 13.8% | $9,941 | $1,546 | $7,366 |
| Atoka County | 35.2% | 4.4% | 13% | $12,592 | $2,131 | $9,830 |
| Beaver County | 14.7% | 3.9% | 9.9% | $9,672 | $2,675 | $8,353 |
| Beckham County | 28.6% | 13.6% | 12.9% | $11,071 | $3,564 | $8,188 |
| Blaine County | 27.9% | 4.9% | 14.4% | $14,072 | $3,499 | $11,639 |
| Bryan County | 27.9% | -1.2% | 9.8% | $12,401 | $1,942 | $9,708 |
| Caddo County | 33.7% | 8.6% | 16.3% | $14,926 | $5,324 | $12,052 |
| Canadian County | 15.2% | 2.5% | 7.9% | $8,179 | $1,647 | $6,483 |
| Carter County | 27.2% | 6% | 12.4% | $13,721 | $3,209 | $10,953 |
| Cherokee County | 31.1% | 2.5% | 12.6% | $12,969 | $2,999 | $10,483 |
| Choctaw County | 41.8% | 2.6% | 16.7% | $16,507 | $2,663 | $13,044 |
| Cimarron County | 16.2% | 1% | 10.2% | $11,592 | $1,174 | $9,915 |
| Cleveland County | 18.1% | 3.9% | 12.7% | $9,358 | $2,389 | $8,209 |
| Coal County | 33.7% | 3.9% | 11.5% | $14,430 | $3,520 | $11,215 |
| Comanche County | 26% | 7% | 21.5% | $12,414 | $3,865 | $11,301 |
| Cotton County | 29.7% | 9.6% | 16.5% | $14,289 | $4,576 | $11,883 |
| Craig County | 37.2% | 7.4% | 23.5% | $16,214 | $4,520 | $13,703 |
| Creek County | 26.9% | 4% | 13.7% | $12,981 | $2,904 | $10,651 |
| Custer County | 22.9% | 7% | 12.1% | $10,869 | $2,948 | $8,851 |
| Delaware County | 33.8% | 4% | 13.9% | $14,749 | $4,109 | $12,085 |
| Dewey County | 25.5% | 8.8% | 13.5% | $12,754 | $3,750 | $10,425 |
| Ellis County | 21.9% | 11.2% | 12.9% | $13,196 | $4,994 | $11,001 |
| Garfield County | 24.2% | 6.2% | 15.9% | $11,807 | $1,941 | $9,917 |
| Garvin County | 29.5% | 2.7% | 14.7% | $14,609 | $2,490 | $12,025 |
| Grady County | 21.7% | 2.9% | 8.6% | $10,445 | $2,024 | $8,005 |
| Grant County | 24.6% | 8.5% | 15.2% | $12,207 | $2,917 | $9,964 |
| Greer County | 40.9% | 7.7% | 20.7% | $13,915 | $2,679 | $10,943 |
| Harmon County | 31.5% | 5.3% | 13.3% | $15,041 | $3,684 | $12,202 |
| Harper County | 19.9% | 5.5% | 12.4% | $12,915 | $4,470 | $11,108 |
| Haskell County | 38.4% | 8.1% | 17.5% | $16,964 | $4,661 | $13,915 |
| Hughes County | 31.5% | -0.1% | 9.7% | $14,737 | $3,153 | $11,361 |
| Jackson County | 24.4% | 3.2% | 17.3% | $11,927 | $2,613 | $10,237 |
| Jefferson County | 41.1% | 13% | 22.5% | $16,781 | $5,226 | $13,719 |
| Johnston County | 34.5% | 1.5% | 12.4% | $15,674 | $2,995 | $12,318 |
| Kay County | 29.5% | 6.3% | 20.3% | $14,266 | $3,613 | $12,143 |
| Kingfisher County | 15.3% | 0% | 5.7% | $11,025 | $2,901 | $9,203 |
| Kiowa County | 34.7% | 8.1% | 18.8% | $15,480 | $3,824 | $12,650 |
| Latimer County | 40.9% | 8.9% | 22.7% | $16,001 | $3,035 | $13,437 |
| Le Flore County | 35.9% | 6% | 14.6% | $14,872 | $3,748 | $11,734 |
| Lincoln County | 28.1% | 5.1% | 14.7% | $12,744 | $3,592 | $10,211 |
| Logan County | 18.6% | 2% | 5.2% | $8,991 | $1,244 | $6,519 |
| Love County | 28.6% | 1.6% | 12.4% | $12,378 | $1,867 | $9,794 |
| McClain County | 19.1% | 3.2% | 8.9% | $10,733 | $2,249 | $8,817 |
| McCurtain County | 33.4% | 0.2% | 11.4% | $14,636 | $2,773 | $11,762 |
| McIntosh County | 43.1% | 5.7% | 19.3% | $18,476 | $4,359 | $15,353 |
| Major County | 24.4% | 7.3% | 15.1% | $11,368 | $2,529 | $9,504 |
| Marshall County | 32.7% | 3.9% | 11.1% | $14,690 | $3,267 | $11,371 |
| Mayes County | 32.5% | 4.7% | 18.2% | $14,569 | $4,116 | $11,980 |
| Murray County | 27.1% | 4.8% | 9.4% | $13,485 | $2,818 | $10,430 |
| Muskogee County | 36.4% | 7% | 20.8% | $16,264 | $4,705 | $13,332 |
| Noble County | 25.8% | 6.3% | 13.1% | $12,639 | $3,329 | $10,353 |
| Nowata County | 33.5% | 6.3% | 17.6% | $14,796 | $3,909 | $11,903 |
| Okfuskee County | 41% | 7.7% | 19.5% | $15,727 | $4,705 | $12,690 |
| Oklahoma County | 15.9% | 0.7% | 9% | $10,843 | $2,392 | $9,062 |
| Okmulgee County | 38.4% | 6.7% | 18% | $16,347 | $4,657 | $12,992 |
| Osage County | 23.6% | 2.2% | 14.3% | $10,249 | $1,798 | $8,462 |
| Ottawa County | 33.5% | 4% | 19.9% | $15,522 | $3,609 | $13,057 |
| Pawnee County | 34.4% | 7.4% | 21.1% | $14,964 | $4,214 | $12,267 |
| Payne County | 20.5% | 3.6% | 10.7% | $9,307 | $2,393 | $7,771 |
| Pittsburg County | 32.3% | 8.8% | 17.4% | $13,729 | $3,550 | $11,269 |
| Pontotoc County | 26.3% | 2.8% | 10.8% | $13,941 | $3,478 | $11,311 |
| Pottawatomie County | 27.2% | 4.8% | 15.4% | $12,951 | $3,326 | $10,580 |
| Pushmataha County | 43.1% | 7.9% | 16.4% | $16,919 | $3,934 | $13,619 |
| Roger Mills County | 23.8% | 11.1% | 11.4% | $11,222 | $3,635 | $9,033 |
| Rogers County | 20% | 2.8% | 10.2% | $10,559 | $2,324 | $8,673 |
| Seminole County | 35.5% | 7.8% | 15.3% | $15,312 | $3,971 | $12,026 |
| Sequoyah County | 36.4% | 5.5% | 17.5% | $15,906 | $4,519 | $13,376 |
| Stephens County | 28.6% | 10% | 17.3% | $13,893 | $3,753 | $11,661 |
| Texas County | 12.4% | 2.1% | 7.7% | $7,491 | $2,019 | $6,142 |
| Tillman County | 37.5% | 11.5% | 22.3% | $12,860 | $2,080 | $10,070 |
| Tulsa County | 15.3% | 4% | 7.8% | $10,697 | $2,433 | $8,817 |
| Wagoner County | 20.8% | 2.5% | 8.2% | $10,347 | $2,559 | $8,281 |
| Washington County | 13.5% | -3.7% | 6.7% | $13,032 | $3,326 | $11,190 |
| Washita County | 31.1% | 11.8% | 19.9% | $12,450 | $4,125 | $10,381 |
| Woods County | 22.1% | 8.5% | 11.4% | $10,553 | $2,745 | $8,541 |
| Woodward County | 25.8% | 13.6% | 17.8% | $10,460 | $3,265 | $8,766 |
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