John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
In total, residents in Milwaukee County received $12 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 23.2% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Wisconsin, government transfer payments totaled $65.6 billion, making up 18.1% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $11,137 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).
Breaking down the contributions in Milwaukee County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $3.1 billion, amounting to $3,325 per capita, or 25.5% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $2.4 billion ($2,564 per capita), representing 19.6% of the total. Medicaid contributed $3.6 billion ($3,932 per capita), making up 30.1% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $2.2 billion ($2,381 per capita), or 18.2% of the total.
With 14.8% of the population aged 65 and older, Milwaukee County has a demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Milwaukee County was $43,132, far below the county’s total income of $56,188, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Milwaukee County saw a decrease of 17.4% in per capita government transfers, from $15,713 to $13,056 per capita.
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 8.21% (or $2,022 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970 to 17.63% (or $11,542 per capita) in 2022. In Milwaukee County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 8.83% (or $2,384 per capita) in 1970 to 23.2% (or $13,056 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn County | 1 | $17,768 | 32% | 28% | $105,590,000 | $88,202,000 | $48,907,000 | $17,725,000 |
| Iron County | 2 | $17,398 | 32.44% | 32.97% | $40,982,000 | $27,487,000 | $20,331,000 | $6,360,000 |
| Price County | 3 | $17,263 | 33.3% | 28.5% | $90,603,000 | $63,416,000 | $45,541,000 | $15,193,000 |
| Vilas County | 4 | $17,111 | 28.61% | 31.65% | $177,124,000 | $126,284,000 | $36,466,000 | $19,260,000 |
| Sawyer County | 5 | $16,196 | 31.76% | 28.1% | $114,525,000 | $83,486,000 | $50,096,000 | $19,794,000 |
| Burnett County | 6 | $15,942 | 33.16% | 32% | $115,934,000 | $70,910,000 | $38,196,000 | $17,148,000 |
| Ashland County | 7 | $15,884 | 34.52% | 21.82% | $80,456,000 | $66,959,000 | $58,383,000 | $22,237,000 |
| Langlade County | 8 | $15,600 | 30.68% | 25.77% | $111,204,000 | $80,641,000 | $55,146,000 | $24,628,000 |
| Marinette County | 9 | $15,525 | 29.71% | 25.17% | $246,134,000 | $170,253,000 | $117,564,000 | $44,738,000 |
| Forest County | 10 | $15,420 | 34% | 25.25% | $51,275,000 | $35,769,000 | $28,723,000 | $11,382,000 |
| Rusk County | 11 | $15,400 | 29.22% | 26.12% | $76,043,000 | $58,264,000 | $41,205,000 | $18,331,000 |
| Menominee County | 12 | $15,176 | 36.63% | 15.74% | $16,766,000 | $10,933,000 | $16,293,000 | $15,087,000 |
| Oneida County | 13 | $15,125 | 27% | 28.25% | $250,312,000 | $135,224,000 | $93,741,000 | $31,883,000 |
| Pepin County | 14 | $14,870 | 24.72% | 24.13% | $37,612,000 | $35,996,000 | $18,870,000 | $5,754,000 |
| Florence County | 15 | $14,800 | 23.76% | 29.64% | $30,822,000 | $14,189,000 | $10,803,000 | $4,404,000 |
| Adams County | 16 | $14,485 | 32.41% | 32% | $145,188,000 | $64,197,000 | $45,203,000 | $23,860,000 |
| Door County | 17 | $14,465 | 20.34% | 32.31% | $209,344,000 | $129,934,000 | $41,439,000 | $20,193,000 |
| Bayfield County | 18 | $14,349 | 27% | 31% | $101,535,000 | $60,557,000 | $32,795,000 | $14,780,000 |
| Waupaca County | 19 | $14,209 | 26% | 21.23% | $270,987,000 | $181,112,000 | $164,674,000 | $44,049,000 |
| Lincoln County | 20 | $14,171 | 26.72% | 23.71% | $157,002,000 | $110,026,000 | $64,485,000 | $25,025,000 |
| Marquette County | 21 | $14,129 | 28.81% | 26.66% | $94,795,000 | $61,192,000 | $26,750,000 | $15,549,000 |
| Barron County | 22 | $13,933 | 24% | 23.44% | $234,455,000 | $177,723,000 | $119,947,000 | $47,952,000 |
| Douglas County | 23 | $13,845 | 27.99% | 20.83% | $191,708,000 | $152,703,000 | $124,740,000 | $48,555,000 |
| Crawford County | 24 | $13,798 | 27.19% | 25.41% | $80,761,000 | $63,132,000 | $40,039,000 | $16,895,000 |
| Wood County | 25 | $13,504 | 25.4% | 22% | $379,250,000 | $271,914,000 | $151,890,000 | $81,258,000 |
| Richland County | 26 | $13,438 | 26.15% | 24.89% | $79,598,000 | $56,113,000 | $57,959,000 | $18,510,000 |
| Juneau County | 27 | $13,132 | 28.12% | 22.23% | $130,714,000 | $87,666,000 | $63,667,000 | $32,434,000 |
| Polk County | 28 | $13,059 | 24% | 22.59% | $233,842,000 | $175,806,000 | $87,255,000 | $38,159,000 |
| Milwaukee County | 29 | $13,056 | 23.24% | 14.81% | $3,054,576,000 | $2,355,520,000 | $3,612,191,000 | $2,187,647,000 |
| Buffalo County | 30 | $12,825 | 23.18% | 23.79% | $62,354,000 | $47,587,000 | $30,516,000 | $11,339,000 |
| Green Lake County | 31 | $12,723 | 24.55% | 23.73% | $104,292,000 | $63,401,000 | $39,312,000 | $17,050,000 |
| Waushara County | 32 | $12,670 | 27.13% | 26% | $140,457,000 | $76,692,000 | $39,109,000 | $23,604,000 |
| Shawano County | 33 | $12,311 | 24.4% | 21.97% | $196,806,000 | $129,957,000 | $85,169,000 | $41,128,000 |
| Jackson County | 34 | $12,275 | 24.5% | 20.67% | $88,802,000 | $69,502,000 | $44,279,000 | $21,488,000 |
| Manitowoc County | 35 | $12,253 | 22.44% | 22.5% | $415,966,000 | $260,688,000 | $155,665,000 | $69,547,000 |
| Vernon County | 36 | $12,144 | 23.99% | 21% | $136,707,000 | $111,149,000 | $66,980,000 | $26,731,000 |
| Racine County | 37 | $11,909 | 20.68% | 18.11% | $879,434,000 | $633,930,000 | $391,068,000 | $252,128,000 |
| Oconto County | 38 | $11,724 | 21.78% | 22.45% | $199,932,000 | $118,470,000 | $57,944,000 | $31,061,000 |
| Trempealeau County | 39 | $11,677 | 22.77% | 18.87% | $124,047,000 | $85,736,000 | $88,399,000 | $25,822,000 |
| Chippewa County | 40 | $11,657 | 21.4% | 19.62% | $283,978,000 | $192,731,000 | $152,448,000 | $57,755,000 |
| Taylor County | 41 | $11,576 | 23.13% | 21.16% | $85,382,000 | $56,434,000 | $42,410,000 | $17,190,000 |
| Fond du Lac County | 42 | $11,502 | 19.76% | 19.79% | $458,162,000 | $317,189,000 | $223,972,000 | $84,635,000 |
| Kewaunee County | 43 | $11,473 | 19.86% | 22% | $96,828,000 | $69,841,000 | $30,757,000 | $13,953,000 |
| Clark County | 44 | $11,465 | 22.32% | 17.38% | $126,462,000 | $116,520,000 | $81,542,000 | $29,337,000 |
| Grant County | 45 | $11,354 | 21.72% | 18.49% | $210,448,000 | $153,715,000 | $117,327,000 | $40,228,000 |
| Rock County | 46 | $11,186 | 21.3% | 17.87% | $708,412,000 | $471,619,000 | $309,404,000 | $200,341,000 |
| Monroe County | 47 | $11,153 | 22.3% | 18.13% | $168,215,000 | $114,854,000 | $87,539,000 | $47,430,000 |
| Sauk County | 48 | $11,060 | 17.82% | 20% | $295,264,000 | $202,905,000 | $100,564,000 | $59,539,000 |
| La Crosse County | 49 | $10,884 | 18% | 17.96% | $474,229,000 | $303,295,000 | $274,480,000 | $94,022,000 |
| Portage County | 50 | $10,759 | 19.79% | 18.29% | $297,250,000 | $184,300,000 | $132,861,000 | $53,097,000 |
| Dunn County | 51 | $10,710 | 21.71% | 16.74% | $175,213,000 | $133,231,000 | $79,962,000 | $39,079,000 |
| Green County | 52 | $10,659 | 17.36% | 20.62% | $169,967,000 | $100,373,000 | $58,535,000 | $27,907,000 |
| Sheboygan County | 53 | $10,598 | 17.56% | 19.71% | $545,885,000 | $312,784,000 | $181,818,000 | $103,845,000 |
| Eau Claire County | 54 | $10,541 | 18.39% | 17.23% | $411,763,000 | $288,852,000 | $206,094,000 | $87,703,000 |
| Walworth County | 55 | $10,491 | 16.7% | 19.88% | $480,245,000 | $300,096,000 | $144,300,000 | $77,658,000 |
| Kenosha County | 56 | $10,440 | 17.92% | 15.86% | $652,406,000 | $411,949,000 | $312,910,000 | $190,394,000 |
| Columbia County | 57 | $10,437 | 16.96% | 19.69% | $269,357,000 | $146,347,000 | $82,179,000 | $42,742,000 |
| Jefferson County | 58 | $10,358 | 18.82% | 18.62% | $371,529,000 | $209,020,000 | $169,673,000 | $60,788,000 |
| Ozaukee County | 59 | $10,217 | 10.24% | 21.62% | $485,380,000 | $278,140,000 | $71,342,000 | $33,620,000 |
| Dodge County | 60 | $10,181 | 19.43% | 18.98% | $389,642,000 | $212,786,000 | $151,890,000 | $64,942,000 |
| Winnebago County | 61 | $10,113 | 17.78% | 17.58% | $726,894,000 | $431,845,000 | $251,900,000 | $140,156,000 |
| Waukesha County | 62 | $10,097 | 11.53% | 20.4% | $2,046,939,000 | $1,236,727,000 | $355,115,000 | $170,192,000 |
| Washington County | 63 | $10,095 | 14.69% | 19.75% | $656,892,000 | $405,317,000 | $137,641,000 | $67,691,000 |
| Pierce County | 64 | $10,080 | 17.28% | 16.62% | $169,710,000 | $132,291,000 | $53,651,000 | $22,154,000 |
| Marathon County | 65 | $10,023 | 16.72% | 19.18% | $582,111,000 | $333,997,000 | $206,755,000 | $118,635,000 |
| Iowa County | 66 | $10,012 | 17% | 20.82% | $107,515,000 | $60,678,000 | $31,991,000 | $17,835,000 |
| Lafayette County | 67 | $9,962 | 19.14% | 20.1% | $66,484,000 | $46,140,000 | $24,731,000 | $13,728,000 |
| Brown County | 68 | $9,355 | 14.96% | 16.36% | $1,029,646,000 | $617,884,000 | $352,393,000 | $243,586,000 |
| Outagamie County | 69 | $9,177 | 15.21% | 16.49% | $762,875,000 | $462,201,000 | $211,622,000 | $133,966,000 |
| St. Croix County | 70 | $8,500 | 12.6% | 15.91% | $353,330,000 | $227,890,000 | $94,830,000 | $44,209,000 |
| Dane County | 71 | $8,073 | 10.95% | 15.15% | $1,974,610,000 | $1,053,860,000 | $718,090,000 | $390,964,000 |
| Calumet County | 72 | $7,140 | 12.1% | 17.28% | $188,828,000 | $83,555,000 | $38,820,000 | $25,490,000 |
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