In 2022, Washington County ranked second lowest per capita recipient of government transfers in Oregon, with residents receiving $9,311 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 Washington County received $5.6 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 12.7% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Oregon, government transfer payments totaled $53.1 billion, making up 20.1% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $12,514 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 Washington County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $1.9 billion, amounting to $3,158 per capita, or 33.9% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $1.2 billion ($1,965 per capita), representing 21.1% of the total. Medicaid contributed $1.5 billion ($2,490 per capita), making up 26.7% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $487.1 million ($812 per capita), or 8.7% of the total.
With 14.8% of the population aged 65 and older, Washington County has a demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Washington County was $64,069, noticeably below the county’s total income of $73,380, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Washington County saw a decrease of 20.6% in per capita government transfers, from $11,680 to $9,311 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 Washington County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 4.86% (or $1,304 per capita) in 1970 to 12.7% (or $9,311 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curry County | 1 | $19,520 | 37.57% | 36.45% | $179,202,000 | $122,980,000 | $71,252,000 | $32,658,000 |
| Coos County | 2 | $18,863 | 34.72% | 28% | $394,879,000 | $281,338,000 | $299,551,000 | $113,522,000 |
| Josephine County | 3 | $18,070 | 34.64% | 27.25% | $496,110,000 | $324,654,000 | $446,008,000 | $147,414,000 |
| Douglas County | 4 | $17,552 | 35.5% | 26.55% | $648,181,000 | $409,203,000 | $447,967,000 | $188,501,000 |
| Wheeler County | 5 | $17,204 | 39.95% | 38.12% | $9,455,000 | $6,136,000 | $4,803,000 | $1,658,000 |
| Lincoln County | 6 | $16,711 | 31.24% | 32.13% | $336,830,000 | $222,114,000 | $126,773,000 | $73,116,000 |
| Klamath County | 7 | $16,370 | 34.65% | 22.47% | $332,250,000 | $217,966,000 | $314,597,000 | $133,073,000 |
| Grant County | 8 | $16,346 | 31.9% | 31.61% | $40,922,000 | $30,280,000 | $23,188,000 | $9,976,000 |
| Wallowa County | 9 | $16,286 | 30.9% | 29.42% | $46,224,000 | $31,309,000 | $21,941,000 | $8,692,000 |
| Jefferson County | 10 | $16,175 | 37.31% | 20.13% | $106,935,000 | $94,633,000 | $125,323,000 | $46,144,000 |
| Baker County | 11 | $16,126 | 33.14% | 27.41% | $93,033,000 | $55,732,000 | $63,665,000 | $26,878,000 |
| Sherman County | 12 | $16,040 | 23.78% | 25.89% | $10,115,000 | $7,168,000 | $8,486,000 | $2,369,000 |
| Tillamook County | 13 | $15,976 | 29.24% | 28.19% | $167,157,000 | $110,273,000 | $86,217,000 | $35,428,000 |
| Linn County | 14 | $15,952 | 30.4% | 19.52% | $584,745,000 | $413,328,000 | $700,354,000 | $190,954,000 |
| Harney County | 15 | $15,927 | 31.84% | 26.53% | $36,011,000 | $32,751,000 | $25,512,000 | $11,708,000 |
| Crook County | 16 | $15,745 | 30.32% | 25.52% | $145,536,000 | $100,120,000 | $89,876,000 | $34,457,000 |
| Union County | 17 | $15,689 | 32% | 21.85% | $119,065,000 | $89,406,000 | $102,635,000 | $40,381,000 |
| Lake County | 18 | $15,576 | 33.33% | 25.55% | $40,129,000 | $38,183,000 | $21,925,000 | $12,158,000 |
| Wasco County | 19 | $15,141 | 29% | 21.85% | $121,862,000 | $84,895,000 | $115,464,000 | $40,260,000 |
| Gilliam County | 20 | $15,122 | 21.88% | 30.23% | $10,799,000 | $8,248,000 | $5,603,000 | $2,493,000 |
| Jackson County | 21 | $15,092 | 26.22% | 23.29% | $1,098,384,000 | $717,528,000 | $856,470,000 | $322,169,000 |
| Malheur County | 22 | $14,828 | 38.61% | 17.2% | $109,097,000 | $82,179,000 | $183,375,000 | $64,551,000 |
| Clatsop County | 23 | $14,613 | 27.17% | 25.19% | $216,765,000 | $144,377,000 | $131,450,000 | $52,053,000 |
| Marion County | 24 | $14,049 | 25.81% | 16.73% | $1,285,134,000 | $893,108,000 | $1,831,568,000 | $512,576,000 |
| Lane County | 25 | $13,693 | 24.37% | 21% | $1,735,508,000 | $1,102,811,000 | $1,335,476,000 | $514,476,000 |
| Columbia County | 26 | $13,612 | 25.34% | 20.36% | $256,330,000 | $164,344,000 | $175,157,000 | $62,292,000 |
| Umatilla County | 27 | $13,575 | 27.62% | 16.37% | $269,999,000 | $215,286,000 | $362,773,000 | $124,561,000 |
| Deschutes County | 28 | $12,560 | 17.54% | 21.27% | $970,256,000 | $598,920,000 | $572,328,000 | $182,167,000 |
| Yamhill County | 29 | $12,456 | 22% | 18.82% | $446,954,000 | $295,421,000 | $371,357,000 | $123,365,000 |
| Morrow County | 30 | $12,308 | 22.35% | 16.73% | $41,643,000 | $36,686,000 | $38,060,000 | $18,699,000 |
| Polk County | 31 | $11,691 | 23.25% | 19.11% | $377,008,000 | $242,855,000 | $222,299,000 | $99,290,000 |
| Multnomah County | 32 | $10,688 | 15.28% | 14.85% | $2,440,342,000 | $1,669,262,000 | $2,572,546,000 | $1,038,366,000 |
| Hood River County | 33 | $10,647 | 16.44% | 18.31% | $86,070,000 | $50,934,000 | $68,092,000 | $25,250,000 |
| Clackamas County | 34 | $9,876 | 13.5% | 19.88% | $1,845,972,000 | $1,097,259,000 | $464,760,000 | $354,070,000 |
| Washington County | 35 | $9,311 | 12.69% | 14.83% | $1,895,641,000 | $1,179,485,000 | $1,494,359,000 | $487,102,000 |
| Benton County | 36 | $8,108 | 14.66% | 17.98% | $355,411,000 | $178,460,000 | $61,330,000 | $77,119,000 |
