In 2022, Social Security transfers in Minnesota totaled $21.52 billion, amounting to $3,765 per capita, or 33.1% of total government transfers in the state, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.
Among all government transfer programs, Social Security was the largest contributor. Medicaid was the second largest, totaling $17.17 billion, equating to $3,003 per capita and making up 26.4% of total transfers.
Medicare was the third largest contributor in Minnesota in 2022, accounting for $14.26 billion, averaging $2,495 per capita, and represented 21.9% of transfers in the state. Income Maintenance transfers provided another $6.3 billion, averaging $1,103 per capita and comprising 9.7% of government support, making them the smallest contributors.
Statewide, including all transfer types, government transfer payments totaled $65.06 billion, and accounted for 16.5% of residents’ total income, with an average of $11,379 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).
With 17.3% of the population aged 65 and older, Minnesota has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. The total per capita income in Minnesota, excluding government transfers was $57,460.8, which is noticeably below the county’s total income of $68,840, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Minnesota saw an increase in its Social Security transfer dependency by 0.4%, reflecting both rising transfer amounts and stagnating or insufficient other sources of income.
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. In Minnesota, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 8.2% (or $1,983 per capita) in 1970 to 16.5% (or $11,379 per capita) in 2022.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | Rank | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers (%) | Medicare Transfers (%) | Medicaid Transfers (%) | Income Maintenance Transfers (%) | Per Capita Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County | 1 | 12.1% | 15.7% | 3.8% | 2.3% | 3.8% | 1.3% | $10,860 |
| Ramsey County | 2 | 19.4% | 15.9% | 5.3% | 3.5% | 6.6% | 2.6% | $12,662 |
| Dakota County | 3 | 13.5% | 15.9% | 5.1% | 3.2% | 3% | 1.1% | $9,466 |
| Anoka County | 4 | 16% | 15.4% | 5.7% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 1.5% | $9,665 |
| St. Louis County | 5 | 26% | 21.4% | 8.3% | 5.3% | 7.4% | 2.5% | $14,720 |
| Washington County | 6 | 11.3% | 16.6% | 4.8% | 2.9% | 1.8% | 0.7% | $8,999 |
| Stearns County | 7 | 19.2% | 16.2% | 5.9% | 4.2% | 4% | 2.1% | $11,387 |
| Olmsted County | 8 | 14.8% | 16.8% | 5.4% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 1.5% | $10,026 |
| Wright County | 9 | 13.5% | 13.7% | 5% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 1% | $8,412 |
| Scott County | 10 | 9.7% | 12.5% | 3.7% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 0.8% | $7,279 |
| Crow Wing County | 11 | 28% | 24.5% | 10.3% | 7% | 5.4% | 2.2% | $14,795 |
| Sherburne County | 12 | 15.5% | 12.4% | 5.4% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 1.4% | $8,833 |
| Otter Tail County | 13 | 25.3% | 25.4% | 9.1% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 1.9% | $14,347 |
| Carver County | 14 | 8.6% | 14.4% | 3.6% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.5% | $7,522 |
| Itasca County | 15 | 31.8% | 25.7% | 11% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 2.8% | $16,408 |
| Clay County | 16 | 21.4% | 14.1% | 5.9% | 4% | 6.5% | 2.7% | $10,923 |
| Blue Earth County | 17 | 19.2% | 15% | 6.2% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 2.1% | $10,159 |
| Rice County | 18 | 19.2% | 16.5% | 7.1% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1.8% | $10,275 |
| Beltrami County | 19 | 29.5% | 17.5% | 7.3% | 5.5% | 10.6% | 3.3% | $14,831 |
| Chisago County | 20 | 18.4% | 17.1% | 6.8% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 1.2% | $10,790 |
| Goodhue County | 21 | 19.3% | 20.7% | 7.3% | 5.1% | 4% | 1.3% | $12,352 |
| Kandiyohi County | 22 | 22.2% | 20.3% | 7% | 5% | 5.6% | 2.4% | $13,217 |
| Winona County | 23 | 20% | 18.9% | 7% | 4.3% | 5% | 1.8% | $11,521 |
| Douglas County | 24 | 22.2% | 24.3% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 1.5% | $13,898 |
| Cass County | 25 | 31.1% | 27% | 10.9% | 6.5% | 7.6% | 3.1% | $17,400 |
| Mower County | 26 | 25% | 18.5% | 7.4% | 5.6% | 7.1% | 2.9% | $13,443 |
| Becker County | 27 | 26.3% | 22.8% | 8.3% | 6.2% | 7.2% | 2.1% | $15,100 |
| Carlton County | 28 | 27.8% | 18.6% | 8.6% | 6.5% | 7.6% | 2.1% | $13,981 |
| Morrison County | 29 | 27.3% | 21.2% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 2.3% | $14,060 |
| Isanti County | 30 | 20.8% | 17% | 7.7% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1.7% | $10,914 |
| Polk County | 31 | 25.1% | 19.4% | 6.8% | 5.2% | 8.2% | 2.6% | $14,768 |
| McLeod County | 32 | 21.4% | 20.1% | 7.6% | 5.6% | 4.9% | 1.5% | $12,345 |
| Benton County | 33 | 19.6% | 14.3% | 6.1% | 3.8% | 5.3% | 2.2% | $10,643 |
| Steele County | 34 | 21.5% | 19.1% | 7.6% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 2.1% | $11,778 |
| Freeborn County | 35 | 25.5% | 23.3% | 8.9% | 6.1% | 5.8% | 2.7% | $14,106 |
| Pine County | 36 | 32% | 22.6% | 10.6% | 7% | 7.8% | 3.1% | $14,479 |
| Mille Lacs County | 37 | 28.8% | 18.3% | 8.9% | 6.9% | 7.4% | 2.4% | $14,810 |
| Todd County | 38 | 25.6% | 23.3% | 7.5% | 6.6% | 6.8% | 2.3% | $14,281 |
| Brown County | 39 | 22.7% | 22.1% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 5.5% | 1.6% | $14,130 |
| Nicollet County | 40 | 17.8% | 17.9% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 3.8% | 1.6% | $10,319 |
| Hubbard County | 41 | 25.2% | 26.7% | 9.2% | 6.1% | 5.1% | 2.3% | $14,791 |
| Lyon County | 42 | 21.1% | 17.6% | 6.2% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 2.2% | $12,693 |
| Le Sueur County | 43 | 17.7% | 18.6% | 6.3% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 1.3% | $10,768 |
| Martin County | 44 | 25.1% | 24.4% | 8.2% | 6.5% | 6.4% | 2.3% | $15,784 |
| Meeker County | 45 | 23.8% | 21.2% | 8.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 1.9% | $13,033 |
| Wabasha County | 46 | 22.4% | 23.6% | 7.9% | 6.4% | 4.5% | 1.3% | $13,597 |
| Aitkin County | 47 | 35.6% | 34.1% | 11.7% | 9.9% | 8% | 2.5% | $17,748 |
| Fillmore County | 48 | 22.9% | 22.1% | 8% | 5.8% | 5.6% | 1.7% | $12,751 |
| Wadena County | 49 | 36.7% | 20.3% | 9.9% | 8.4% | 10.8% | 3.7% | $17,125 |
| Houston County | 50 | 21.6% | 23.3% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 5% | 1.4% | $12,969 |
| Nobles County | 51 | 19.7% | 17% | 5.7% | 4.3% | 5.9% | 2.4% | $11,078 |
| Waseca County | 52 | 23.2% | 19.3% | 7.9% | 5.8% | 5.5% | 2% | $12,707 |
| Kanabec County | 53 | 29.1% | 21.8% | 9.8% | 6.9% | 7.1% | 2.5% | $14,485 |
| Renville County | 54 | 23.4% | 21.8% | 6.9% | 6.3% | 6.2% | 2% | $15,050 |
| Redwood County | 55 | 19% | 21.6% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 1.5% | $14,103 |
| Koochiching County | 56 | 34.5% | 28.4% | 11.7% | 7.5% | 9.1% | 2.8% | $18,288 |
| Faribault County | 57 | 27.4% | 23.8% | 8.7% | 6.6% | 7.4% | 2.6% | $15,269 |
| Dodge County | 58 | 16.5% | 15.9% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 1.4% | $9,759 |
| Pennington County | 59 | 20.3% | 19.1% | 5.9% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 1.7% | $13,432 |
| Sibley County | 60 | 20.7% | 19.6% | 6.7% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 1.7% | $12,392 |
| Roseau County | 61 | 19.5% | 19.4% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 4.8% | 1.7% | $11,942 |
| Lake County | 62 | 30.9% | 27.8% | 10.9% | 7.5% | 7% | 1.8% | $16,406 |
| Chippewa County | 63 | 25.5% | 21.8% | 7.3% | 6.2% | 7.6% | 2.3% | $14,320 |
| Cottonwood County | 64 | 24.2% | 22.9% | 7.5% | 6.4% | 6.1% | 2.3% | $15,260 |
| Pope County | 65 | 22.7% | 25.3% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 5.4% | 1.7% | $14,474 |
| Yellow Medicine County | 66 | 24.6% | 21.7% | 7.3% | 6.1% | 7% | 1.7% | $16,277 |
| Swift County | 67 | 22% | 23.6% | 6% | 5.1% | 7% | 2% | $14,711 |
| Watonwan County | 68 | 22.1% | 20.8% | 6.5% | 5.1% | 6.2% | 2% | $12,597 |
| Clearwater County | 69 | 29.5% | 21.1% | 7.9% | 6.8% | 8.8% | 2.9% | $15,759 |
| Marshall County | 70 | 19.4% | 23.3% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 1.4% | $14,718 |
| Jackson County | 71 | 20.6% | 23.6% | 6.8% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 1.8% | $13,089 |
| Pipestone County | 72 | 19.9% | 21% | 5.7% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 1.9% | $13,414 |
| Murray County | 73 | 22.7% | 26.8% | 7.4% | 6.9% | 5% | 1.6% | $15,381 |
| Rock County | 74 | 21.3% | 20.5% | 7% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 1.7% | $12,984 |
| Lac qui Parle County | 75 | 24.9% | 27.8% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 7.2% | 1.7% | $17,206 |
| Stevens County | 76 | 17.6% | 17.7% | 5.2% | 4.6% | 4.5% | 1.6% | $11,446 |
| Norman County | 77 | 27.3% | 21.6% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 9% | 2.4% | $16,332 |
| Wilkin County | 78 | 21.2% | 19.9% | 6% | 4.5% | 7.3% | 1.8% | $14,932 |
| Grant County | 79 | 24.8% | 23.5% | 8.2% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 2% | $15,375 |
| Big Stone County | 80 | 25.5% | 26.6% | 7.2% | 6.7% | 7.5% | 1.8% | $17,907 |
| Mahnomen County | 81 | 34.8% | 17.7% | 5.7% | 5.3% | 17.4% | 4% | $16,903 |
| Cook County | 82 | 25% | 30.9% | 10.8% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 1.5% | $14,197 |
| Lincoln County | 83 | 23.7% | 24.4% | 7.3% | 5.7% | 7.2% | 1.6% | $14,361 |
| Lake of the Woods County | 84 | 28.5% | 26.1% | 8.9% | 8.1% | 6.8% | 1.9% | $16,996 |
| Kittson County | 85 | 22% | 25.9% | 7.4% | 5.2% | 6% | 1.7% | $15,419 |
| Traverse County | 86 | 21.2% | 25.7% | 6.1% | 5.3% | 6.2% | 2.1% | $18,142 |
| Red Lake County | 87 | 20% | 23.1% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.2% | 1.7% | $14,685 |
