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Randolph County News

Friday, March 14, 2025

Randolph County ranks 73rd highest in North Carolina for per capita government transfer income at $12,314 in 2022

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John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website

John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website

In 2022, Randolph County ranked 28th lowest per capita recipient of government transfers in North Carolina, with residents receiving $12,314 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 Randolph County received $1.8 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 26.3% of total county income.

Comparatively, across all counties in North Carolina, government transfer payments totaled $122.9 billion, making up 19.8% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $11,491 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 Randolph County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $634.7 million, amounting to $4,346 per capita, or 35.3% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $482.1 million ($3,301 per capita), representing 26.8% of the total. Medicaid contributed $282.6 million ($1,935 per capita), making up 15.7% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $221.4 million ($1,516 per capita), or 12.3% of the total.

With 18.3% of the population aged 65 and older, Randolph County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Randolph County was $34,434, far below the county’s total income of $46,748, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.

When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Randolph County saw a decrease of 17.2% in per capita government transfers, from $14,970 to $12,314 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 Randolph County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 5.7% (or $1,159 per capita) in 1970 to 26.3% (or $12,314 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.

Breakdown of Government Transfers by Program in Randolph County, 2022

04000800012000Total Per CapitaIncome Maintenance TransfersMedicaid TransfersMedicare TransfersSocial Security TransfersCounty Amount($)Statewide Average($)

2022 North Carolina County Rankings by Per Capita Government Transfers

CountyState Rank (Per Capita Transfers)Per Capita Transfers ($)Dependency on Transfers (%)% Population 65+Social Security Transfers ($)Medicare Transfers ($)Medicaid Transfers ($)Income Maintenance Transfers ($)
Washington County1$19,01841.89%27.99%$65,514,000$53,804,000$36,836,000$27,448,000
Northampton County2$18,53838.93%29.68%$100,699,000$86,355,000$51,930,000$43,424,000
Swain County3$18,23635.4%19.9%$71,146,000$69,362,000$66,178,000$22,084,000
Bertie County4$17,89836.22%25.35%$95,878,000$85,548,000$58,375,000$42,523,000
Halifax County5$17,61339.34%21.99%$253,594,000$216,501,000$158,464,000$130,357,000
Martin County6$17,38740.86%25.79%$115,899,000$106,623,000$62,137,000$45,728,000
Clay County7$17,20339.32%33.47%$82,633,000$51,322,000$24,010,000$15,055,000
Brunswick County8$17,08329.31%33.74%$1,193,966,000$729,060,000$212,621,000$146,616,000
Bladen County9$17,03435.18%23.7%$149,819,000$132,381,000$93,940,000$70,271,000
Beaufort County10$17,00431.17%25.67%$272,877,000$187,202,000$114,790,000$81,340,000
Cherokee County11$17,00042.48%31.74%$197,155,000$128,829,000$66,826,000$38,429,000
Richmond County12$16,86636.66%18.16%$191,769,000$174,251,000$147,293,000$110,547,000
Robeson County13$16,74640.77%16%$444,711,000$436,999,000$453,735,000$361,470,000
Vance County14$16,73038.59%19.46%$196,566,000$172,427,000$161,663,000$119,345,000
Columbus County15$16,52337.46%20.83%$247,936,000$209,253,000$155,359,000$118,221,000
Pamlico County16$16,45931.47%31.8%$82,609,000$52,990,000$23,007,000$15,423,000
Polk County17$16,33526.56%32.44%$135,984,000$91,123,000$38,757,000$22,243,000
Edgecombe County18$16,13937%21.24%$220,928,000$160,494,000$178,318,000$140,298,000
Lenoir County19$16,07731.5%21.52%$260,394,000$217,856,000$168,892,000$121,449,000
Perquimans County20$15,97529.94%28.12%$77,074,000$57,565,000$26,621,000$20,077,000
Anson County21$15,95731.8%20%$102,678,000$90,191,000$77,250,000$52,870,000
Jones County22$15,91232.75%24.38%$45,221,000$27,031,000$22,181,000$17,052,000
Scotland County23$15,85338.61%18.28%$156,817,000$119,299,000$117,551,000$93,140,000
Alleghany County24$15,83935.62%28.34%$64,713,000$49,403,000$23,797,000$16,098,000
Chowan County25$15,78230.94%25.99%$77,935,000$58,514,000$33,121,000$24,866,000
Haywood County26$15,50030.46%25.52%$367,698,000$254,743,000$138,248,000$84,011,000
Hertford County27$15,49437.31%22.5%$96,752,000$81,837,000$62,455,000$48,002,000
Carteret County28$15,42124.27%27%$394,740,000$295,595,000$103,856,000$71,897,000
Macon County29$15,42031.92%28.74%$231,948,000$156,275,000$72,184,000$45,698,000
Transylvania County30$15,26827.56%31.74%$212,148,000$129,671,000$63,052,000$41,738,000
Graham County31$15,20136.77%24.79%$39,146,000$28,087,000$27,670,000$12,919,000
Yancey County32$15,09235.93%26.5%$105,250,000$75,092,000$42,925,000$25,356,000
McDowell County33$15,08434.29%21.56%$225,897,000$169,799,000$122,936,000$75,000,000
Wilson County34$14,93430.62%19.22%$381,459,000$303,673,000$205,342,000$155,127,000
Mitchell County35$14,80433.65%25.35%$82,363,000$55,965,000$35,408,000$20,097,000
Craven County36$14,75027.15%21%$484,175,000$365,005,000$174,429,000$144,623,000
Tyrrell County37$14,73732.69%24.19%$14,906,000$13,448,000$7,191,000$6,998,000
Rutherford County38$14,73234.64%22.29%$327,457,000$235,112,000$163,642,000$116,263,000
Wilkes County39$14,69830.95%22.99%$339,472,000$260,377,000$158,932,000$114,862,000
Ashe County40$14,66733%27.39%$148,995,000$104,965,000$56,370,000$36,229,000
Rockingham County41$14,50632%21.3%$468,865,000$368,526,000$220,140,000$152,101,000
Cleveland County42$14,37731.86%19%$478,210,000$351,302,000$285,531,000$195,587,000
Cumberland County43$14,25230.97%12.97%$1,055,067,000$753,682,000$789,106,000$662,323,000
Duplin County44$14,24627%19.95%$198,668,000$178,833,000$125,918,000$98,983,000
Henderson County45$14,22825.76%26.43%$703,246,000$471,887,000$190,105,000$118,428,000
Caldwell County46$14,07631.45%21.13%$379,579,000$293,566,000$195,999,000$121,149,000
Surry County47$14,02328.75%21%$332,806,000$282,143,000$163,128,000$111,229,000
Madison County48$14,01831.5%23.13%$105,348,000$76,326,000$49,113,000$30,008,000
Sampson County49$13,97029.82%18.21%$245,352,000$203,555,000$154,143,000$119,644,000
Moore County50$13,93222.15%23.75%$569,232,000$355,528,000$138,649,000$102,242,000
Wayne County51$13,69027.73%17.27%$453,010,000$368,247,000$279,351,000$227,245,000
Gates County52$13,64327.37%22.68%$48,505,000$40,005,000$17,779,000$15,470,000
Warren County53$13,62436.23%27.3%$85,006,000$57,360,000$48,603,000$39,954,000
Person County54$13,60130%20.95%$192,247,000$149,000,000$84,217,000$61,005,000
Stokes County55$13,57929.27%22.97%$242,401,000$170,020,000$86,265,000$53,833,000
Nash County56$13,54626.71%19.49%$423,617,000$342,255,000$213,868,000$163,259,000
Pasquotank County57$13,38328.33%18.57%$163,347,000$133,085,000$81,316,000$69,303,000
Caswell County58$13,29232.3%23.49%$115,666,000$72,598,000$49,605,000$37,733,000
Burke County59$13,24429.67%21.6%$413,139,000$279,524,000$202,990,000$128,515,000
Yadkin County60$13,14127.69%21%$179,902,000$142,788,000$72,948,000$47,775,000
Lee County61$13,03326.26%17%$256,901,000$197,703,000$124,880,000$101,433,000
Davie County62$12,95821.39%22.16%$226,094,000$164,489,000$66,716,000$55,268,000
Hyde County63$12,91526.58%24.61%$19,824,000$15,140,000$8,576,000$7,473,000
Alexander County64$12,84626.74%20.44%$174,932,000$121,155,000$67,944,000$45,628,000
Catawba County65$12,72423%18.72%$759,820,000$523,440,000$307,074,000$221,104,000
Dare County66$12,65516.63%24.57%$207,007,000$113,461,000$39,978,000$32,131,000
Avery County67$12,62227.65%23.67%$85,731,000$48,903,000$32,022,000$20,524,000
Stanly County68$12,57526%19%$287,769,000$221,124,000$126,808,000$86,845,000
Montgomery County69$12,57426.88%22.37%$112,555,000$62,713,000$61,684,000$45,927,000
Hoke County70$12,45330.24%11.62%$142,575,000$88,826,000$108,709,000$100,599,000
Rowan County71$12,33126.24%17.84%$635,741,000$450,225,000$319,621,000$218,341,000
Pender County72$12,31924.69%18.19%$277,243,000$192,478,000$111,969,000$79,255,000
Randolph County73$12,31426.34%18.29%$634,720,000$482,129,000$282,574,000$221,446,000
Buncombe County74$12,13019.71%21.31%$1,238,289,000$814,328,000$487,079,000$302,883,000
Pitt County75$12,10822.63%14.69%$597,664,000$481,743,000$385,621,000$298,360,000
New Hanover County76$11,94219.6%19%$1,038,539,000$721,848,000$357,397,000$242,251,000
Gaston County77$11,89323.94%16.56%$933,177,000$723,944,000$503,523,000$353,504,000
Jackson County78$11,84126.39%20.4%$173,112,000$118,560,000$94,588,000$44,096,000
Chatham County79$11,82114.82%25.47%$451,781,000$262,954,000$90,027,000$64,031,000
Davidson County80$11,73224.18%18.99%$764,332,000$479,625,000$324,562,000$245,043,000
Forsyth County81$11,65320.17%16.95%$1,556,719,000$1,196,356,000$721,019,000$543,967,000
Camden County82$11,39820%17%$41,532,000$32,968,000$11,639,000$9,299,000
Alamance County83$11,28223%17.13%$702,128,000$529,790,000$325,639,000$235,178,000
Harnett County84$11,11425.15%13.71%$413,324,000$383,644,000$236,831,000$203,028,000
Lincoln County85$11,09019%19.23%$391,766,000$285,226,000$142,944,000$98,336,000
Guilford County86$10,98219.97%15.92%$2,016,961,000$1,373,896,000$1,001,048,000$828,244,000
Onslow County87$10,93621.2%10.17%$528,635,000$357,096,000$284,314,000$251,373,000
Greene County88$10,78927.69%17.58%$69,597,000$42,563,000$43,962,000$36,170,000
Currituck County89$10,61917.88%17.28%$117,413,000$79,076,000$28,284,000$24,817,000
Granville County90$10,46322.31%17.9%$241,922,000$155,956,000$104,249,000$76,958,000
Iredell County91$10,41716.17%16.68%$754,961,000$532,337,000$283,932,000$183,620,000
Franklin County92$10,21822%17.34%$269,150,000$184,608,000$122,730,000$95,347,000
Watauga County93$9,55619.73%16.99%$194,364,000$150,851,000$46,012,000$33,905,000
Johnston County94$9,06018.24%13.75%$737,301,000$472,355,000$359,094,000$276,571,000
Durham County95$9,02215.27%14.56%$1,034,001,000$688,342,000$542,546,000$388,823,000
Cabarrus County96$9,01716.47%13.58%$737,891,000$539,949,000$336,920,000$246,054,000
Mecklenburg County97$8,33910.91%12%$3,017,471,000$2,096,158,000$1,758,138,000$1,430,659,000
Union County98$8,30312.28%13.55%$764,850,000$521,987,000$288,348,000$224,592,000
Orange County99$8,14110.5%16%$519,656,000$295,276,000$149,450,000$107,982,000
Wake County100$7,65710%12.92%$3,337,402,000$2,266,241,000$1,202,826,000$884,816,000

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