John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
These payments—which include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and income maintenance—accounted for 25% of all personal income in the county, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.
This marks a slight increase in the county’s reliance on government transfers compared to 2012, when such payments made up 23% of total income. Since then, the share has risen by 2%.
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 2022, government transfers in Cass County primarily focused on older adults—such as Social Security transfers, which totaled $67.9 million (35.1% of all transfer income), and Medicare, which accounted for $58.3 million (30.1%)—played a significant role in the county's overall income.
On a per capita basis, Social Security payments rose from $4,228 in 2012 and $1,377 in 1970 to $5,180 in 2022, reflecting a 22.5% increase over the past decade and a 276.2% shift since 1970.
Similarly, Medicare transfers climbed from $3,048 in 2012 and $384 in 1970 to $4,450, marking 46% and 1,058.9% increases, respectively.
These increases in per capita payments align with shifts in the county’s age distribution. In 2022, residents aged 65 and older made up 23.5% of the total population, compared to 21% in 2012 and 17.2% in 1970. While the senior share of the population has increased, the rise in per capita Social Security and Medicare transfers suggests that these assistance programs for older adults now require a larger share of government funding—either due to growing needs, expanded eligibility, higher benefit levels, or increased enrollment.
According to the Economic Innovation Group, total income in Cass County excluding public assistance amounted to $44,296 per capita in 2022, compared to $59,063 when government transfers were included.
Breaking down the other contributions in the county, Medicaid transfers made up $38.7 million, a 20% share of total income, while income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $13.7 million, or 7.1% of the total.
Compared to the previous year, Cass County's reliance on government transfers decreased by 3.4%.
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 $2,016 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970 to 17.6% (or $11,529 per capita) in 2022 nationwide.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers (%) | Medicare Transfers (%) | Medicaid Transfers (%) | Income Maintenance Transfers (%) | Per Capita Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringgold County | 1 | 26.6% | 23% | 31.7% | 33.1% | 18.2% | 6.6% | $15,253 |
| Adams County | 2 | 22.33% | 24.6% | 32.1% | 34.5% | 17.8% | 7.7% | $15,106 |
| Montgomery County | 3 | 29.43% | 22.27% | 34.2% | 30.5% | 18.9% | 7.9% | $14,815 |
| Cass County | 4 | 25% | 23.49% | 35.1% | 30.1% | 20% | 7.1% | $14,767 |
| Fremont County | 5 | 23.29% | 24.4% | 36.3% | 30.6% | 16.6% | 6.9% | $14,565 |
| Appanoose County | 6 | 30.3% | 24% | 33.6% | 25.9% | 21.9% | 8.9% | $14,476 |
| Union County | 7 | 28.82% | 21.13% | 31.1% | 28% | 20.9% | 8.3% | $14,422 |
| Page County | 8 | 26.9% | 23.95% | 34.9% | 32.8% | 17.9% | 6.6% | $14,318 |
| Monona County | 9 | 23.3% | 24% | 36.4% | 29.4% | 18.1% | 7.2% | $14,095 |
| Des Moines County | 10 | 23% | 21.41% | 34.8% | 24% | 20.7% | 9.4% | $13,973 |
| Greene County | 11 | 22.43% | 23.94% | 37.5% | 29.7% | 18% | 7% | $13,863 |
| Taylor County | 12 | 24% | 22.45% | 33.3% | 34.3% | 15.8% | 7.8% | $13,862 |
| Audubon County | 13 | 19.83% | 24.97% | 37.6% | 30.6% | 16.8% | 6.5% | $13,703 |
| Clayton County | 14 | 21.22% | 25% | 36.7% | 30.6% | 16.3% | 6.1% | $13,690 |
| Fayette County | 15 | 25.98% | 22.92% | 33.7% | 27.9% | 20.7% | 7.8% | $13,683 |
| Cerro Gordo County | 16 | 20.15% | 23.71% | 37.3% | 26.2% | 19.7% | 6.8% | $13,655 |
| Lee County | 17 | 27.34% | 22% | 35.9% | 23.6% | 21.5% | 9.1% | $13,652 |
| Guthrie County | 18 | 20% | 24% | 40.3% | 27.4% | 17.2% | 6.2% | $13,600 |
| Wright County | 19 | 19.29% | 22.35% | 33.6% | 28.7% | 22.9% | 6.9% | $13,586 |
| Emmet County | 20 | 24.89% | 23.45% | 35.3% | 29.6% | 15.5% | 7.3% | $13,469 |
| Shelby County | 21 | 20.13% | 23.56% | 37.3% | 30.5% | 17.5% | 6.3% | $13,397 |
| Decatur County | 22 | 30% | 21% | 30.7% | 27.3% | 20.9% | 9.6% | $13,362 |
| Jefferson County | 23 | 24.26% | 26.91% | 38.6% | 26% | 18.9% | 8% | $13,339 |
| Kossuth County | 24 | 19.99% | 25.22% | 39% | 32.1% | 15.2% | 6.1% | $13,300 |
| Van Buren County | 25 | 27.68% | 22.92% | 34.9% | 33.1% | 16.3% | 7.5% | $13,284 |
| Floyd County | 26 | 22.35% | 22.61% | 36.3% | 27.1% | 20.5% | 7.7% | $13,242 |
| Calhoun County | 27 | 20.5% | 23.62% | 38% | 32.2% | 15.9% | 6.2% | $13,175 |
| Hardin County | 28 | 18.96% | 23.71% | 37% | 30.5% | 16.4% | 7% | $13,078 |
| Dickinson County | 29 | 17.62% | 28.21% | 46.4% | 27.7% | 11.8% | 5% | $13,066 |
| Clinton County | 30 | 24.75% | 20.37% | 35.4% | 24.8% | 21.8% | 8.6% | $13,023 |
| Wapello County | 31 | 28.37% | 18.57% | 31.2% | 24.3% | 24.9% | 10.6% | $12,990 |
| Mills County | 32 | 18.3% | 20.5% | 34.4% | 23.4% | 22.2% | 5.7% | $12,959 |
| Keokuk County | 33 | 23.29% | 22.35% | 36.1% | 29.1% | 18.5% | 7.9% | $12,889 |
| Lucas County | 34 | 25.99% | 22.16% | 35.6% | 26.5% | 19.9% | 9.1% | $12,808 |
| Palo Alto County | 35 | 19.6% | 22.89% | 36.4% | 28.1% | 19.9% | 6.7% | $12,755 |
| Jackson County | 36 | 22.79% | 22% | 37.3% | 27.9% | 18.2% | 7.2% | $12,656 |
| Sac County | 37 | 16.22% | 24.15% | 39.9% | 31.3% | 14.3% | 6.2% | $12,638 |
| Winnebago County | 38 | 22.87% | 22% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 15.9% | 6.5% | $12,584 |
| Monroe County | 39 | 22.88% | 20.23% | 35.5% | 29.3% | 17.4% | 7.5% | $12,571 |
| Pottawattamie County | 40 | 23.86% | 18.77% | 32.7% | 23.1% | 22.9% | 9.2% | $12,497 |
| Cherokee County | 41 | 14.98% | 25% | 40.8% | 26.6% | 17.4% | 6.2% | $12,473 |
| Pocahontas County | 42 | 19.59% | 24% | 38.7% | 28.3% | 17% | 7.5% | $12,435 |
| Butler County | 43 | 20.68% | 23.46% | 41.2% | 29.6% | 15.2% | 5.9% | $12,423 |
| Harrison County | 44 | 21.29% | 20% | 34.9% | 27.7% | 18.4% | 7.1% | $12,406 |
| Adair County | 45 | 18.28% | 22.56% | 35.4% | 31.3% | 18.1% | 7.3% | $12,370 |
| Ida County | 46 | 15.98% | 22.11% | 37.2% | 32.2% | 16.5% | 6.6% | $12,303 |
| Humboldt County | 47 | 20.3% | 21.7% | 36.1% | 31.5% | 16.5% | 6.4% | $12,297 |
| Chickasaw County | 48 | 13.78% | 22.82% | 38.4% | 31.6% | 15% | 6% | $12,294 |
| Webster County | 49 | 22.85% | 19.7% | 34.3% | 24.3% | 22% | 9% | $12,228 |
| Franklin County | 50 | 18.69% | 22.2% | 37.7% | 28.9% | 17.5% | 6.9% | $12,147 |
| Wayne County | 51 | 22.74% | 22.77% | 36.8% | 27.2% | 18.9% | 8.7% | $12,089 |
| Marshall County | 52 | 24.79% | 18.34% | 34.8% | 21.8% | 24.8% | 8.7% | $12,085 |
| Clay County | 53 | 19.48% | 22.41% | 39.5% | 26.6% | 19.1% | 7.2% | $12,073 |
| Hancock County | 54 | 18% | 24% | 38.7% | 32.5% | 13.8% | 5.8% | $12,013 |
| Howard County | 55 | 18.98% | 20.43% | 36.3% | 30% | 15.5% | 7.2% | $11,986 |
| O'Brien County | 56 | 18.41% | 21.53% | 37.2% | 27.5% | 21.2% | 6.7% | $11,958 |
| Allamakee County | 57 | 21.73% | 23.36% | 38.2% | 25.7% | 16.1% | 7.6% | $11,955 |
| Carroll County | 58 | 18.32% | 21.45% | 37.9% | 25.8% | 21.5% | 6.9% | $11,862 |
| Tama County | 59 | 20.44% | 20.72% | 38.5% | 25.3% | 20.3% | 7.7% | $11,840 |
| Clarke County | 60 | 24.49% | 19.2% | 33.3% | 27% | 21.7% | 8.4% | $11,832 |
| Hamilton County | 61 | 18.29% | 20.86% | 38.5% | 29.8% | 15.5% | 6.9% | $11,633 |
| Henry County | 62 | 23.21% | 19.78% | 36.9% | 26.1% | 18.8% | 8.4% | $11,630 |
| Mitchell County | 63 | 12% | 21.57% | 38.2% | 32.5% | 14.6% | 6.1% | $11,594 |
| Washington County | 64 | 14.58% | 20.31% | 38.5% | 27.9% | 18.6% | 6.8% | $11,508 |
| Black Hawk County | 65 | 21.17% | 17.76% | 36.5% | 22.6% | 22.2% | 10.2% | $11,318 |
| Muscatine County | 66 | 20.8% | 18.25% | 37.4% | 23.5% | 21.8% | 9.4% | $11,296 |
| Osceola County | 67 | 17.21% | 23% | 38.6% | 28.3% | 15.6% | 8.3% | $11,259 |
| Boone County | 68 | 20.8% | 19.96% | 39.3% | 23.7% | 19.4% | 6.2% | $11,247 |
| Louisa County | 69 | 21.21% | 20.31% | 39.6% | 25.9% | 18.2% | 7.6% | $11,229 |
| Scott County | 70 | 17.72% | 17.62% | 35.3% | 22.7% | 22% | 11% | $11,177 |
| Winneshiek County | 71 | 18.24% | 23.12% | 41.2% | 27.5% | 12.7% | 5% | $11,134 |
| Worth County | 72 | 20% | 22.61% | 40.3% | 26.1% | 15.8% | 6.8% | $11,130 |
| Crawford County | 73 | 20.26% | 18.36% | 35.5% | 26.7% | 21.6% | 9% | $11,087 |
| Mahaska County | 74 | 21.51% | 19.17% | 36.4% | 24.4% | 21% | 8.9% | $11,039 |
| Jasper County | 75 | 21.82% | 19.72% | 40.1% | 23.3% | 20.1% | 7.7% | $11,022 |
| Jones County | 76 | 20.35% | 21% | 40.6% | 26.8% | 16.9% | 6.8% | $10,902 |
| Dubuque County | 77 | 18% | 19.3% | 39.1% | 25.2% | 19% | 7.9% | $10,866 |
| Buchanan County | 78 | 18% | 18.68% | 39.7% | 26.8% | 17.8% | 7% | $10,847 |
| Poweshiek County | 79 | 19.19% | 21.54% | 42.8% | 25.3% | 15.6% | 6.9% | $10,792 |
| Woodbury County | 80 | 21% | 15.62% | 31.9% | 22% | 25.5% | 11.3% | $10,754 |
| Marion County | 81 | 17.93% | 19.45% | 40.1% | 25.8% | 17.8% | 6.1% | $10,706 |
| Iowa County | 82 | 17.6% | 19.96% | 42.3% | 28.2% | 14.9% | 5.7% | $10,671 |
| Grundy County | 83 | 16.24% | 21.3% | 45.5% | 28.9% | 13% | 5.2% | $10,590 |
| Benton County | 84 | 14.97% | 19.61% | 42.5% | 24.5% | 17.2% | 6.5% | $10,395 |
| Bremer County | 85 | 17.43% | 19.69% | 43.4% | 28.8% | 13.4% | 5.5% | $10,380 |
| Linn County | 86 | 16.94% | 17.34% | 38.3% | 23.1% | 21.4% | 8.3% | $10,324 |
| Plymouth County | 87 | 15.11% | 19.52% | 40.7% | 28.8% | 16.2% | 6.2% | $10,186 |
| Delaware County | 88 | 16.57% | 21.45% | 41.8% | 26.8% | 16.4% | 6.7% | $10,098 |
| Buena Vista County | 89 | 18.45% | 16.77% | 32.7% | 26.4% | 21.5% | 10.6% | $10,025 |
| Cedar County | 90 | 15.12% | 21.29% | 45.9% | 24.4% | 15.3% | 6.1% | $9,879 |
| Madison County | 91 | 16.85% | 17.47% | 41.1% | 25.7% | 15.5% | 6.7% | $9,830 |
| Davis County | 92 | 18.69% | 18.41% | 35.7% | 29.7% | 17.3% | 7.6% | $9,666 |
| Polk County | 93 | 15% | 13.99% | 35.2% | 20.5% | 24.6% | 10.1% | $9,413 |
| Lyon County | 94 | 12.87% | 18.92% | 38.1% | 31.8% | 13.3% | 7.2% | $9,240 |
| Warren County | 95 | 15% | 16.67% | 41.6% | 25.3% | 15.9% | 6% | $9,127 |
| Sioux County | 96 | 12.71% | 16.42% | 37.5% | 29.9% | 16.7% | 6.8% | $8,560 |
| Johnson County | 97 | 12.24% | 13.29% | 39% | 21.6% | 19.2% | 9.5% | $7,627 |
| Story County | 98 | 15% | 13.37% | 39.7% | 23.9% | 16% | 7.6% | $7,479 |
| Dallas County | 99 | 7.76% | 12.76% | 43.7% | 22.2% | 16.6% | 6.9% | $6,201 |
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