In 2022, government transfers made up 35.4% of total income in Swain County, North Carolina—a 20.5% surge from 14.9% in 1970 and a 4% increase from 2012’s 31.4%. This marks the 13th largest increase among all North Carolina counties over the past decade, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.
On a per capita basis, this translates to $18,236 per resident in 2022, up from $12,023 in 2012 and $1,861 in 1970, ranking Swain County as the first fastest-growing in per capita government transfers among North Carolina counties over the past 10 years.
Meanwhile, Swain County had the 19th largest share of income derived from government transfers, making it one of the largest dependent counties in the state.
Among North Carolina’s counties, Cherokee County saw the largest increase in transfer dependency over the past 10 years, surging 4.4% from 38.1% in 2012 to 42.5% in 2022, and up 28.2 percentage points from just 14.3% in 1970. In dollar terms, government transfers per capita in Cherokee County jumped from $13,202 in 2012 to $17,000 in 2022, contrasting to the $1,923 recorded in 1970.
For comparison, the statewide average was 19.8% in 2022, showing a higher dependency than the national average of 17.6%. On a per capita level, this translates to $11,491 per resident, 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 Swain County, reliance on government transfers was just 14.9% (or $1,861 per capita in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars) in 1970. This has since increased to a total of 20.5% 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 Swain County included:
- Social Security: $5,094 per capita (27.9% of total transfers)
- Medicare: $4,966 per capita (27.2% of total transfers)
- Medicaid: $4,738 per capita (26% of total transfers)
- Income Maintenance Programs: $1,581 per capita (8.7% of total transfers)
With 19.9% of the population aged 65 and older, Swain County has a significant demand for 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.
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 Since 2012 | Per Capita Since 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County | 42.5% | +4.4% | +28.2% | $17,000 | $3,798 | $15,077 |
| Washington County | 41.9% | +5.9% | +33.1% | $19,018 | $4,585 | $17,566 |
| Martin County | 40.9% | +6.7% | +32% | $17,387 | $4,389 | $15,901 |
| Robeson County | 40.8% | +4.5% | +29.9% | $16,746 | $4,975 | $15,194 |
| Clay County | 39.3% | +2.9% | +24.1% | $17,203 | $4,681 | $15,147 |
| Halifax County | 39.3% | +3.1% | +26.8% | $17,613 | $3,588 | $15,815 |
| Northampton County | 38.9% | +3% | +25.3% | $18,538 | $4,889 | $16,823 |
| Scotland County | 38.6% | +1.3% | +29.1% | $15,853 | $2,746 | $14,282 |
| Vance County | 38.6% | +5% | +29.5% | $16,730 | $4,219 | $15,092 |
| Columbus County | 37.5% | +1.5% | +27.1% | $16,523 | $3,656 | $14,974 |
| Hertford County | 37.3% | +4% | +29.1% | $15,494 | $4,105 | $14,296 |
| Edgecombe County | 37.1% | +3.2% | +25.8% | $16,139 | $3,501 | $14,266 |
| Graham County | 36.8% | +1.5% | +23.5% | $15,201 | $3,117 | $13,496 |
| Bertie County | 36.2% | -0.4% | +21.4% | $17,898 | $4,173 | $15,959 |
| Warren County | 36.2% | +1.4% | +20.6% | $13,624 | $2,488 | $11,505 |
| Yancey County | 35.9% | +2.9% | +22.3% | $15,092 | $2,884 | $13,474 |
| Alleghany County | 35.6% | +3% | +23.3% | $15,839 | $3,471 | $14,016 |
| Swain County | 35.4% | +4% | +20.5% | $18,236 | $6,213 | $16,374 |
| Bladen County | 35.2% | +2.2% | +24.7% | $17,034 | $4,571 | $15,497 |
| Rutherford County | 34.6% | +1.8% | +25% | $14,732 | $3,427 | $13,128 |
| McDowell County | 34.3% | +2% | +24.7% | $15,084 | $4,094 | $13,577 |
| Mitchell County | 33.7% | +1.2% | +19.5% | $14,804 | $2,604 | $12,760 |
| Ashe County | 33% | +3.2% | +20.7% | $14,667 | $3,072 | $13,060 |
| Jones County | 32.8% | +5.9% | +21.8% | $15,912 | $3,902 | $14,401 |
| Tyrrell County | 32.7% | +4% | +16.9% | $14,737 | $4,118 | $12,752 |
| Caswell County | 32.3% | +1.2% | +24.7% | $13,292 | $2,135 | $12,146 |
| Rockingham County | 32% | +3.1% | +24.1% | $14,506 | $3,205 | $12,899 |
| Cleveland County | 31.9% | +0.5% | +23.8% | $14,377 | $2,348 | $12,932 |
| Macon County | 31.9% | +1.5% | +19.5% | $15,420 | $3,309 | $13,643 |
| Anson County | 31.8% | -0.9% | +20.4% | $15,957 | $4,387 | $14,335 |
| Caldwell County | 31.5% | +2% | +24.6% | $14,076 | $3,622 | $12,790 |
| Lenoir County | 31.5% | +2.6% | +23.1% | $16,077 | $3,613 | $14,601 |
| Madison County | 31.5% | -1.6% | +18% | $14,018 | $2,714 | $12,249 |
| Pamlico County | 31.5% | +3.9% | +23.2% | $16,459 | $3,866 | $15,019 |
| Beaufort County | 31.2% | +3.2% | +22.1% | $17,004 | $4,236 | $15,494 |
| Cumberland County | 31% | +8.2% | +26.9% | $14,252 | $4,422 | $13,291 |
| Wilkes County | 31% | -0.8% | +23.5% | $14,698 | $2,883 | $13,446 |
| Chowan County | 30.9% | +1% | +20.4% | $15,782 | $3,239 | $14,118 |
| Wilson County | 30.6% | +4.4% | +22.5% | $14,934 | $3,572 | $13,494 |
| Haywood County | 30.5% | +0.6% | +20.9% | $15,500 | $3,057 | $13,805 |
| Hoke County | 30.2% | +7.5% | +23.7% | $12,453 | $4,337 | $11,507 |
| Person County | 30% | +3% | +21.1% | $13,601 | $2,839 | $12,106 |
| Perquimans County | 29.9% | +2.8% | +18.1% | $15,975 | $3,821 | $14,326 |
| Sampson County | 29.8% | +3% | +20.7% | $13,970 | $3,132 | $12,560 |
| Burke County | 29.7% | +0.6% | +23.2% | $13,244 | $2,933 | $12,001 |
| Brunswick County | 29.3% | +0.6% | +20.3% | $17,083 | $4,605 | $15,527 |
| Stokes County | 29.3% | +4% | +22.6% | $13,579 | $4,065 | $12,414 |
| Pasquotank County | 28.3% | +3.9% | +19.7% | $13,383 | $3,345 | $11,903 |
| Avery County | 27.7% | +0.4% | +14.8% | $12,622 | $2,717 | $10,966 |
| Greene County | 27.7% | +1.3% | +21.7% | $10,789 | $1,843 | $9,677 |
| Wayne County | 27.7% | +3.7% | +20.4% | $13,690 | $3,640 | $12,257 |
| Yadkin County | 27.7% | +1% | +20.3% | $13,141 | $2,787 | $11,796 |
| Transylvania County | 27.6% | -1.5% | +19.9% | $15,268 | $3,440 | $13,987 |
| Gates County | 27.4% | +3.8% | +18.8% | $13,643 | $4,261 | $12,291 |
| Craven County | 27.2% | +5.6% | +21.6% | $14,750 | $4,548 | $13,515 |
| Duplin County | 27% | +2.6% | +19.3% | $14,246 | $4,748 | $13,021 |
| Montgomery County | 26.9% | -1.5% | +17.4% | $12,574 | $2,391 | $10,943 |
| Alexander County | 26.7% | +0.5% | +20.1% | $12,846 | $3,366 | $11,667 |
| Nash County | 26.7% | +2.4% | +19.5% | $13,546 | $2,868 | $12,232 |
| Hyde County | 26.6% | +4.8% | +15.9% | $12,915 | $3,775 | $11,331 |
| Polk County | 26.6% | +0.4% | +16.8% | $16,335 | $4,435 | $14,322 |
| Jackson County | 26.4% | -0.3% | +16.1% | $11,841 | $2,879 | $10,354 |
| Lee County | 26.3% | +2.5% | +17.4% | $13,033 | $3,054 | $11,383 |
| Randolph County | 26.3% | +1.5% | +20.6% | $12,314 | $2,764 | $11,155 |
| Rowan County | 26.2% | -0.9% | +18.7% | $12,331 | $2,028 | $10,866 |
| Stanly County | 26.1% | -0.5% | +18.8% | $12,575 | $2,300 | $11,122 |
| Henderson County | 25.8% | +0.4% | +16% | $14,228 | $2,891 | $12,301 |
| Harnett County | 25.2% | +1.8% | +16.7% | $11,114 | $2,813 | $9,777 |
| Pender County | 24.7% | -0.1% | +15.6% | $12,319 | $2,368 | $10,972 |
| Carteret County | 24.3% | +3% | +16% | $15,421 | $4,408 | $13,899 |
| Davidson County | 24.2% | -0.2% | +18.1% | $11,732 | $2,009 | $10,533 |
| Gaston County | 23.9% | -0.8% | +17.1% | $11,893 | $1,522 | $10,593 |
| Alamance County | 23% | +0.7% | +16.9% | $11,282 | $1,966 | $9,984 |
| Catawba County | 23% | +0.9% | +17.5% | $12,724 | $2,778 | $11,504 |
| Pitt County | 22.6% | +2.4% | +14.1% | $12,108 | $3,246 | $10,639 |
| Granville County | 22.3% | +0.6% | +14.4% | $10,463 | $1,916 | $9,268 |
| Moore County | 22.2% | +1.4% | +12.7% | $13,932 | $2,460 | $12,184 |
| Franklin County | 22.1% | -1.1% | +12.9% | $10,218 | $1,511 | $8,769 |
| Davie County | 21.4% | +1.1% | +13.5% | $12,958 | $3,071 | $11,473 |
| Onslow County | 21.2% | +8% | +19% | $10,936 | $3,884 | $10,339 |
| Forsyth County | 20.2% | +2.3% | +13.6% | $11,653 | $2,760 | $10,019 |
| Camden County | 20% | +2.5% | +10.8% | $11,398 | $2,577 | $10,013 |
| Guilford County | 20% | +2% | +14.5% | $10,982 | $2,383 | $9,627 |
| Buncombe County | 19.7% | -1.4% | +10.8% | $12,130 | $2,329 | $10,412 |
| Watauga County | 19.7% | +0.8% | +11.8% | $9,556 | $2,480 | $8,348 |
| New Hanover County | 19.6% | -0.5% | +11.7% | $11,942 | $2,789 | $10,383 |
| Lincoln County | 19.1% | -1.1% | +11.8% | $11,090 | $2,341 | $9,748 |
| Johnston County | 18.2% | -1.7% | +9.3% | $9,060 | $875 | $7,526 |
| Currituck County | 17.9% | +1% | +9.4% | $10,619 | $2,475 | $8,881 |
| Dare County | 16.6% | +0.5% | +6.4% | $12,655 | $3,777 | $10,583 |
| Cabarrus County | 16.5% | -0.4% | +9% | $9,017 | $1,351 | $7,462 |
| Iredell County | 16.2% | -0.8% | +8.9% | $10,417 | $1,928 | $9,063 |
| Durham County | 15.3% | +0.7% | +7.4% | $9,022 | $1,439 | $7,220 |
| Chatham County | 14.8% | -1% | +8.5% | $11,821 | $2,308 | $10,643 |
| Union County | 12.3% | -0.3% | +5.8% | $8,303 | $1,916 | $7,125 |
| Mecklenburg County | 10.9% | +0.9% | +6% | $8,339 | $1,501 | $7,080 |
| Orange County | 10.5% | +0.7% | +5.8% | $8,141 | $1,858 | $7,117 |
| Wake County | 10% | +0.1% | +4.9% | $7,657 | $1,747 | $6,425 |
