John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
In total, residents in Searcy County received $130.7 million in government transfers, which accounted for 49.1% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Arkansas, government transfer payments totaled $38 billion, making up 23.7% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $12,493 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 Searcy County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $43.6 million, amounting to $5,502 per capita, or 33.3% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $34.5 million ($4,362 per capita), representing 26.4% of the total. Medicaid contributed $30 million ($3,783 per capita), making up 22.9% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $10.3 million ($1,296 per capita), or 7.9% of the total.
With 25.8% of the population aged 65 and older, Searcy County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Searcy County was $17,114, far below the county’s total income of $33,616, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Searcy County saw a decrease of 11.5% in per capita government transfers, from $18,733 to $16,502 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 Searcy County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 22.17% (or $2,585 per capita) in 1970 to 49.1% (or $16,502 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 1 | $19,670 | 41.81% | 25.81% | $35,713,000 | $25,103,000 | $44,184,000 | $9,792,000 |
| Phillips County | 2 | $19,144 | 43.17% | 20.96% | $70,634,000 | $54,467,000 | $101,880,000 | $46,367,000 |
| Chicot County | 3 | $18,913 | 41.67% | 22.16% | $46,553,000 | $41,639,000 | $65,416,000 | $20,703,000 |
| Sharp County | 4 | $18,393 | 42% | 25.63% | $106,223,000 | $93,687,000 | $63,861,000 | $24,329,000 |
| Bradley County | 5 | $17,997 | 36.92% | 19.4% | $45,932,000 | $41,423,000 | $66,737,000 | $17,523,000 |
| Woodruff County | 6 | $17,877 | 35.53% | 24.6% | $30,932,000 | $28,462,000 | $30,907,000 | $10,595,000 |
| Monroe County | 7 | $17,641 | 43.97% | 23.96% | $33,719,000 | $26,594,000 | $34,364,000 | $12,423,000 |
| Desha County | 8 | $17,200 | 35.68% | 20.23% | $49,600,000 | $43,532,000 | $56,676,000 | $21,901,000 |
| Baxter County | 9 | $17,155 | 38.64% | 30.72% | $291,910,000 | $206,233,000 | $106,874,000 | $39,297,000 |
| Ashley County | 10 | $17,085 | 38.23% | 21.87% | $104,192,000 | $81,863,000 | $76,892,000 | $28,159,000 |
| Nevada County | 11 | $16,705 | 41.25% | 21.69% | $38,278,000 | $30,988,000 | $44,316,000 | $11,707,000 |
| Stone County | 12 | $16,586 | 45% | 27.98% | $74,040,000 | $55,844,000 | $42,363,000 | $16,091,000 |
| Searcy County | 13 | $16,502 | 49% | 25.75% | $43,567,000 | $34,541,000 | $29,950,000 | $10,258,000 |
| Van Buren County | 14 | $16,315 | 42.43% | 26.34% | $97,589,000 | $68,129,000 | $51,279,000 | $18,540,000 |
| Garland County | 15 | $16,220 | 33.44% | 24.8% | $568,176,000 | $461,170,000 | $320,349,000 | $119,178,000 |
| Logan County | 16 | $16,030 | 39.25% | 20.53% | $102,642,000 | $73,604,000 | $107,316,000 | $27,958,000 |
| Lawrence County | 17 | $15,999 | 37.85% | 19.22% | $73,694,000 | $65,110,000 | $74,182,000 | $22,789,000 |
| Poinsett County | 18 | $15,958 | 37.52% | 18.39% | $99,335,000 | $92,348,000 | $106,507,000 | $37,886,000 |
| Lafayette County | 19 | $15,957 | 32.11% | 25.76% | $31,872,000 | $23,347,000 | $25,137,000 | $9,745,000 |
| Ouachita County | 20 | $15,898 | 33% | 21.53% | $114,200,000 | $85,236,000 | $87,574,000 | $34,155,000 |
| Cleburne County | 21 | $15,833 | 32.67% | 27.35% | $158,956,000 | $106,591,000 | $66,665,000 | $25,900,000 |
| Clay County | 22 | $15,833 | 36.37% | 21.4% | $69,407,000 | $61,625,000 | $55,874,000 | $18,300,000 |
| Newton County | 23 | $15,817 | 41.81% | 27.42% | $40,978,000 | $27,604,000 | $23,560,000 | $9,082,000 |
| St. Francis County | 24 | $15,410 | 43.21% | 17.93% | $86,687,000 | $75,376,000 | $108,284,000 | $49,086,000 |
| Marion County | 25 | $15,283 | 41.62% | 29.4% | $104,055,000 | $61,525,000 | $48,974,000 | $19,073,000 |
| Pike County | 26 | $15,272 | 36.99% | 20.84% | $49,364,000 | $42,028,000 | $39,925,000 | $13,331,000 |
| Lee County | 27 | $15,185 | 42.4% | 20.22% | $32,555,000 | $24,650,000 | $45,490,000 | $17,990,000 |
| Jefferson County | 28 | $15,163 | 37.18% | 18.94% | $272,561,000 | $215,141,000 | $239,583,000 | $119,855,000 |
| Randolph County | 29 | $14,994 | 36.6% | 19.24% | $80,605,000 | $77,244,000 | $69,535,000 | $24,947,000 |
| Montgomery County | 30 | $14,937 | 39.39% | 27.44% | $47,283,000 | $29,128,000 | $28,322,000 | $9,850,000 |
| Fulton County | 31 | $14,931 | 43.91% | 25.77% | $65,047,000 | $42,008,000 | $41,185,000 | $14,691,000 |
| Cleveland County | 32 | $14,855 | 29% | 21.63% | $35,837,000 | $27,719,000 | $27,108,000 | $8,571,000 |
| Hempstead County | 33 | $14,794 | 34.45% | 19.11% | $84,655,000 | $62,472,000 | $86,368,000 | $33,194,000 |
| Little River County | 34 | $14,754 | 35.39% | 21.67% | $61,355,000 | $50,323,000 | $32,264,000 | $15,059,000 |
| Izard County | 35 | $14,726 | 42.49% | 25% | $74,994,000 | $45,445,000 | $45,958,000 | $15,562,000 |
| Arkansas County | 36 | $14,626 | 25.3% | 20.38% | $77,967,000 | $58,094,000 | $66,082,000 | $23,264,000 |
| Union County | 37 | $14,558 | 28.44% | 19.48% | $188,166,000 | $131,708,000 | $132,046,000 | $54,429,000 |
| Polk County | 38 | $14,553 | 36.7% | 23.32% | $99,483,000 | $69,067,000 | $52,986,000 | $25,292,000 |
| Drew County | 39 | $14,482 | 31.13% | 18.33% | $71,996,000 | $54,539,000 | $68,320,000 | $24,420,000 |
| Howard County | 40 | $14,478 | 30.61% | 18.93% | $57,738,000 | $45,163,000 | $45,945,000 | $19,661,000 |
| Clark County | 41 | $14,449 | 34.13% | 16.59% | $87,084,000 | $61,527,000 | $103,833,000 | $24,477,000 |
| Jackson County | 42 | $14,248 | 31% | 18.22% | $67,413,000 | $67,034,000 | $61,938,000 | $22,779,000 |
| Prairie County | 43 | $14,235 | 32.7% | 24% | $39,331,000 | $30,023,000 | $27,797,000 | $8,691,000 |
| Mississippi County | 44 | $14,221 | 32.72% | 15.83% | $152,205,000 | $119,470,000 | $161,949,000 | $77,407,000 |
| Columbia County | 45 | $14,204 | 31.36% | 17.65% | $99,583,000 | $68,989,000 | $89,777,000 | $33,915,000 |
| Cross County | 46 | $14,129 | 34.38% | 18.6% | $72,442,000 | $55,465,000 | $64,154,000 | $24,469,000 |
| Conway County | 47 | $13,997 | 29.54% | 20% | $98,370,000 | $66,946,000 | $71,311,000 | $27,608,000 |
| Perry County | 48 | $13,939 | 31.49% | 21.25% | $49,587,000 | $34,390,000 | $30,221,000 | $11,819,000 |
| Yell County | 49 | $13,817 | 31.38% | 18.27% | $87,182,000 | $69,444,000 | $72,076,000 | $27,246,000 |
| Crittenden County | 50 | $13,728 | 31.15% | 15.1% | $176,322,000 | $130,528,000 | $194,567,000 | $96,161,000 |
| Boone County | 51 | $13,514 | 31.9% | 20.96% | $193,170,000 | $121,478,000 | $104,075,000 | $42,319,000 |
| Franklin County | 52 | $13,418 | 31.91% | 20.38% | $81,931,000 | $55,825,000 | $48,943,000 | $19,217,000 |
| Hot Spring County | 53 | $13,405 | 35.6% | 19.76% | $150,644,000 | $108,615,000 | $110,205,000 | $37,451,000 |
| Independence County | 54 | $13,283 | 30% | 18.12% | $162,661,000 | $127,287,000 | $125,862,000 | $42,196,000 |
| Scott County | 55 | $13,282 | 33.29% | 21.57% | $45,846,000 | $25,405,000 | $30,828,000 | $15,869,000 |
| Calhoun County | 56 | $13,217 | 28.11% | 22.81% | $23,190,000 | $16,180,000 | $10,815,000 | $5,177,000 |
| Crawford County | 57 | $12,872 | 30.84% | 17.92% | $266,888,000 | $188,786,000 | $168,106,000 | $71,831,000 |
| White County | 58 | $12,679 | 29.1% | 16.84% | $325,333,000 | $243,079,000 | $210,583,000 | $91,960,000 |
| Pulaski County | 59 | $12,481 | 20.27% | 16.66% | $1,583,317,000 | $1,061,511,000 | $1,180,465,000 | $532,794,000 |
| Carroll County | 60 | $12,426 | 29.78% | 23.96% | $139,817,000 | $90,343,000 | $58,511,000 | $28,938,000 |
| Miller County | 61 | $12,416 | 31% | 17.34% | $165,174,000 | $131,768,000 | $117,282,000 | $65,602,000 |
| Greene County | 62 | $12,394 | 29.82% | 16.6% | $181,502,000 | $136,946,000 | $145,684,000 | $57,137,000 |
| Sebastian County | 63 | $12,297 | 25.42% | 16.98% | $515,058,000 | $374,904,000 | $365,674,000 | $163,130,000 |
| Madison County | 64 | $12,219 | 27.52% | 19.5% | $73,222,000 | $62,398,000 | $38,145,000 | $20,108,000 |
| Johnson County | 65 | $12,101 | 34% | 17.66% | $106,445,000 | $65,937,000 | $75,040,000 | $35,740,000 |
| Grant County | 66 | $11,996 | 26.16% | 18.71% | $78,104,000 | $55,445,000 | $42,081,000 | $16,119,000 |
| Pope County | 67 | $11,819 | 28.35% | 16.56% | $249,731,000 | $173,782,000 | $178,079,000 | $67,049,000 |
| Saline County | 68 | $11,721 | 22.4% | 18.46% | $556,855,000 | $362,314,000 | $325,790,000 | $99,869,000 |
| Lonoke County | 69 | $11,517 | 23.78% | 14.76% | $270,468,000 | $195,712,000 | $170,377,000 | $71,231,000 |
| Lincoln County | 70 | $11,398 | 34.5% | 15.12% | $41,968,000 | $39,523,000 | $41,218,000 | $13,934,000 |
| Craighead County | 71 | $11,398 | 24.58% | 14.12% | $370,547,000 | $286,701,000 | $359,041,000 | $146,194,000 |
| Sevier County | 72 | $11,372 | 25.36% | 14.56% | $51,791,000 | $42,140,000 | $43,055,000 | $22,688,000 |
| Faulkner County | 73 | $10,742 | 22.31% | 13.93% | $422,092,000 | $269,451,000 | $390,576,000 | $115,941,000 |
| Washington County | 74 | $8,313 | 17% | 12.37% | $721,360,000 | $463,000,000 | $450,183,000 | $220,280,000 |
| Benton County | 75 | $8,086 | 8.18% | 13.77% | $935,340,000 | $596,211,000 | $401,171,000 | $213,073,000 |
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