In 2022, San Juan County ranked 19th highest per capita recipient of government transfers in Washington, with residents receiving $13,778 per capita from programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and income maintenance, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.
In total, residents in San Juan County received $257.1 million in government transfers, which accounted for 15.4% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Washington, government transfer payments totaled $83.3 billion, making up 14.2% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $10,697 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 San Juan County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $124.8 million, amounting to $6,688 per capita, or 48.5% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $73.2 million ($3,922 per capita), representing 28.5% of the total. Medicaid contributed $26 million ($1,395 per capita), making up 10.1% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $10.2 million ($546 per capita), or 4% of the total.
With 35.9% of the population aged 65 and older, San Juan County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in San Juan County was $75,966, noticeably below the county’s total income of $89,744, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, San Juan County saw a decrease of 14.9% in per capita government transfers, from $16,236 to $13,778 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 San Juan County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 10% (or $3,005 per capita) in 1970 to 15.4% (or $13,778 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | 1 | $18,753 | 29.97% | 29% | $24,703,000 | $20,112,000 | $17,773,000 | $5,467,000 |
| Pacific County | 2 | $18,397 | 39.57% | 33.78% | $171,905,000 | $116,613,000 | $81,866,000 | $32,357,000 |
| Ferry County | 3 | $17,849 | 40.43% | 30.26% | $44,499,000 | $26,423,000 | $34,238,000 | $12,353,000 |
| Jefferson County | 4 | $17,788 | 28.28% | 40.77% | $273,750,000 | $159,249,000 | $77,286,000 | $29,749,000 |
| Clallam County | 5 | $17,193 | 30.94% | 32.41% | $546,765,000 | $333,411,000 | $224,944,000 | $91,597,000 |
| Pend Oreille County | 6 | $17,006 | 34.78% | 27.38% | $83,212,000 | $44,453,000 | $60,865,000 | $23,970,000 |
| Garfield County | 7 | $16,683 | 28.71% | 26.73% | $12,528,000 | $13,501,000 | $6,512,000 | $2,612,000 |
| Asotin County | 8 | $16,535 | 30.43% | 25.49% | $129,106,000 | $81,134,000 | $91,421,000 | $34,521,000 |
| Okanogan County | 9 | $16,121 | 32.53% | 23.46% | $204,879,000 | $144,027,000 | $202,349,000 | $73,631,000 |
| Grays Harbor County | 10 | $16,056 | 34.25% | 23.59% | $414,369,000 | $264,890,000 | $305,600,000 | $129,391,000 |
| Klickitat County | 11 | $15,553 | 29.18% | 25.19% | $124,212,000 | $75,942,000 | $88,328,000 | $31,847,000 |
| Stevens County | 12 | $15,222 | 32.56% | 25.44% | $253,452,000 | $145,916,000 | $168,881,000 | $71,107,000 |
| Wahkiakum County | 13 | $15,089 | 29.95% | 33.75% | $32,068,000 | $16,406,000 | $10,517,000 | $4,950,000 |
| Lincoln County | 14 | $14,921 | 28.72% | 26% | $64,136,000 | $51,082,000 | $25,566,000 | $11,809,000 |
| Lewis County | 15 | $14,726 | 27.91% | 21.51% | $423,790,000 | $271,591,000 | $292,701,000 | $133,012,000 |
| Cowlitz County | 16 | $14,522 | 26.58% | 19.8% | $549,433,000 | $350,979,000 | $362,447,000 | $189,562,000 |
| Mason County | 17 | $14,410 | 28% | 24.33% | $364,034,000 | $225,975,000 | $184,964,000 | $87,032,000 |
| Island County | 18 | $13,904 | 21.21% | 27% | $511,957,000 | $276,406,000 | $139,945,000 | $61,480,000 |
| San Juan County | 19 | $13,778 | 15.35% | 35.9% | $124,811,000 | $73,197,000 | $26,034,000 | $10,187,000 |
| Chelan County | 20 | $13,545 | 21.61% | 21% | $360,620,000 | $233,712,000 | $275,410,000 | $102,976,000 |
| Yakima County | 21 | $13,527 | 27.46% | 14.46% | $801,808,000 | $505,536,000 | $1,329,673,000 | $548,196,000 |
| Skagit County | 22 | $13,483 | 21.43% | 22.62% | $660,712,000 | $401,842,000 | $353,806,000 | $156,604,000 |
| Walla Walla County | 23 | $12,947 | 23.36% | 20.14% | $266,336,000 | $162,945,000 | $193,866,000 | $79,163,000 |
| Spokane County | 24 | $12,148 | 22.4% | 17.34% | $2,129,289,000 | $1,383,927,000 | $1,498,273,000 | $716,831,000 |
| Adams County | 25 | $11,943 | 24.92% | 12% | $47,423,000 | $38,075,000 | $106,476,000 | $40,120,000 |
| Grant County | 26 | $11,841 | 24.18% | 14.63% | $318,261,000 | $213,958,000 | $379,464,000 | $176,168,000 |
| Thurston County | 27 | $11,743 | 19.67% | 18.82% | $1,297,186,000 | $683,383,000 | $547,622,000 | $291,944,000 |
| Kitsap County | 28 | $11,578 | 16.98% | 19.69% | $1,099,588,000 | $680,294,000 | $574,629,000 | $241,790,000 |
| Skamania County | 29 | $11,300 | 18% | 24.99% | $54,716,000 | $27,844,000 | $28,355,000 | $12,621,000 |
| Whatcom County | 30 | $11,269 | 19.1% | 18.85% | $946,257,000 | $598,402,000 | $508,627,000 | $226,563,000 |
| Douglas County | 31 | $11,260 | 22.93% | 18.56% | $167,401,000 | $111,273,000 | $118,680,000 | $49,539,000 |
| Kittitas County | 32 | $11,250 | 20.43% | 18.38% | $191,003,000 | $116,473,000 | $86,847,000 | $40,271,000 |
| Pierce County | 33 | $10,933 | 18.23% | 14.82% | $3,159,997,000 | $1,922,097,000 | $2,207,794,000 | $1,059,255,000 |
| Benton County | 34 | $10,584 | 19.44% | 15.87% | $792,791,000 | $487,623,000 | $455,501,000 | $246,882,000 |
| Clark County | 35 | $10,329 | 15.76% | 16.69% | $1,916,679,000 | $1,111,468,000 | $1,037,242,000 | $554,375,000 |
| Franklin County | 36 | $9,497 | 20.61% | 10.29% | $217,371,000 | $139,993,000 | $315,416,000 | $152,947,000 |
| Snohomish County | 37 | $8,774 | 12.71% | 14.84% | $2,732,252,000 | $1,593,470,000 | $1,373,521,000 | $673,805,000 |
| King County | 38 | $8,503 | 7.47% | 14.12% | $6,547,664,000 | $4,144,097,000 | $3,969,005,000 | $1,715,968,000 |
| Whitman County | 39 | $8,499 | 18.21% | 11.67% | $124,321,000 | $85,332,000 | $73,895,000 | $35,690,000 |
