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 Knox County received $5 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 16.1% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Tennessee, government transfer payments totaled $79 billion, making up 19.2% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $11,209 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 Knox County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $1.9 billion, amounting to $3,817 per capita, or 37.4% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $1.3 billion ($2,643 per capita), representing 25.9% of the total. Medicaid contributed $740.5 million ($1,497 per capita), making up 14.7% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $495.3 million ($1,002 per capita), or 9.8% of the total.
With 16.3% of the population aged 65 and older, Knox County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Knox County was $53,285, noticeably below the county’s total income of $63,494, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Knox County saw a decrease of 18% in per capita government transfers, from $12,643 to $10,209 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 Knox County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 8.73% (or $1,756 per capita) in 1970 to 16.1% (or $10,209 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 1 | $16,947 | 38% | 32.22% | $467,812,000 | $311,944,000 | $108,267,000 | $75,057,000 |
| Decatur County | 2 | $16,553 | 33.61% | 23.13% | $66,054,000 | $60,073,000 | $30,593,000 | $17,592,000 |
| Fentress County | 3 | $16,457 | 39.47% | 22.97% | $101,784,000 | $90,638,000 | $57,971,000 | $34,941,000 |
| Unicoi County | 4 | $15,735 | 37% | 23.73% | $91,395,000 | $77,890,000 | $45,775,000 | $23,102,000 |
| Benton County | 5 | $15,599 | 38.18% | 24.16% | $90,233,000 | $70,813,000 | $37,952,000 | $24,665,000 |
| Greene County | 6 | $15,324 | 36.25% | 22% | $371,087,000 | $312,128,000 | $218,772,000 | $93,607,000 |
| Pickett County | 7 | $15,310 | 36.57% | 28.32% | $29,892,000 | $21,070,000 | $10,884,000 | $7,166,000 |
| Cocke County | 8 | $15,152 | 37.19% | 21.87% | $187,899,000 | $144,275,000 | $100,115,000 | $69,890,000 |
| Carroll County | 9 | $15,132 | 37.32% | 20% | $144,019,000 | $126,506,000 | $69,921,000 | $43,236,000 |
| Stewart County | 10 | $15,122 | 31% | 20.81% | $66,475,000 | $51,417,000 | $26,979,000 | $17,797,000 |
| Houston County | 11 | $14,918 | 38% | 20.92% | $37,065,000 | $36,077,000 | $19,853,000 | $12,458,000 |
| Campbell County | 12 | $14,913 | 35.46% | 20.63% | $186,229,000 | $148,438,000 | $114,279,000 | $74,621,000 |
| McNairy County | 13 | $14,866 | 38.76% | 20.72% | $129,735,000 | $112,895,000 | $66,643,000 | $41,471,000 |
| Grundy County | 14 | $14,822 | 38.53% | 20.48% | $68,664,000 | $48,190,000 | $40,037,000 | $27,832,000 |
| Scott County | 15 | $14,817 | 39.55% | 17.35% | $90,183,000 | $93,211,000 | $69,308,000 | $45,428,000 |
| Claiborne County | 16 | $14,809 | 35.19% | 20.29% | $158,166,000 | $133,001,000 | $86,380,000 | $53,297,000 |
| Henry County | 17 | $14,703 | 28.1% | 23.85% | $177,832,000 | $129,500,000 | $61,085,000 | $50,489,000 |
| Johnson County | 18 | $14,596 | 37.88% | 23.84% | $94,735,000 | $76,276,000 | $35,441,000 | $28,305,000 |
| Hardin County | 19 | $14,513 | 32.78% | 23.78% | $141,768,000 | $103,085,000 | $69,739,000 | $42,640,000 |
| Loudon County | 20 | $14,420 | 21.49% | 27.76% | $376,243,000 | $254,539,000 | $77,436,000 | $51,893,000 |
| Roane County | 21 | $14,340 | 28.57% | 23.62% | $304,796,000 | $220,408,000 | $115,522,000 | $65,102,000 |
| White County | 22 | $14,158 | 34.13% | 20.67% | $137,550,000 | $106,974,000 | $62,814,000 | $41,821,000 |
| Lake County | 23 | $14,093 | 46.35% | 17.12% | $22,323,000 | $28,929,000 | $21,170,000 | $13,832,000 |
| Obion County | 24 | $14,054 | 28.69% | 21% | $155,026,000 | $124,998,000 | $64,493,000 | $47,693,000 |
| Clay County | 25 | $14,046 | 33.91% | 25.37% | $37,894,000 | $27,269,000 | $17,687,000 | $12,746,000 |
| Hancock County | 26 | $13,869 | 43.58% | 22.67% | $24,265,000 | $26,067,000 | $20,980,000 | $15,321,000 |
| Hawkins County | 27 | $13,825 | 33.61% | 21.75% | $319,253,000 | $193,456,000 | $125,764,000 | $82,813,000 |
| Rhea County | 28 | $13,688 | 31.54% | 19.18% | $154,804,000 | $117,916,000 | $87,320,000 | $53,398,000 |
| Marion County | 29 | $13,654 | 28.68% | 21.33% | $147,877,000 | $115,955,000 | $59,186,000 | $42,347,000 |
| Humphreys County | 30 | $13,582 | 30.48% | 20.29% | $93,461,000 | $71,742,000 | $41,632,000 | $23,905,000 |
| Sullivan County | 31 | $13,561 | 26.54% | 22.17% | $870,571,000 | $592,188,000 | $287,518,000 | $202,413,000 |
| Gibson County | 32 | $13,559 | 29.44% | 17.5% | $226,139,000 | $190,975,000 | $134,206,000 | $75,246,000 |
| Monroe County | 33 | $13,500 | 32.61% | 22% | $246,422,000 | $173,801,000 | $92,115,000 | $68,222,000 |
| Hardeman County | 34 | $13,451 | 38.69% | 18.57% | $109,180,000 | $91,237,000 | $68,593,000 | $48,255,000 |
| Sequatchie County | 35 | $13,432 | 29.16% | 21.42% | $83,555,000 | $54,961,000 | $33,202,000 | $23,657,000 |
| Warren County | 36 | $13,410 | 32% | 17.98% | $184,659,000 | $157,595,000 | $96,541,000 | $68,394,000 |
| Haywood County | 37 | $13,367 | 35.62% | 20.96% | $78,584,000 | $58,071,000 | $43,383,000 | $36,977,000 |
| Dyer County | 38 | $13,347 | 26.24% | 17.91% | $161,506,000 | $128,814,000 | $82,913,000 | $65,245,000 |
| Carter County | 39 | $13,321 | 32.99% | 22.68% | $273,358,000 | $195,379,000 | $118,469,000 | $80,468,000 |
| Van Buren County | 40 | $13,232 | 36.79% | 23.97% | $31,698,000 | $20,756,000 | $16,597,000 | $8,112,000 |
| Giles County | 41 | $13,151 | 29.46% | 21% | $146,765,000 | $111,985,000 | $55,654,000 | $39,589,000 |
| Meigs County | 42 | $13,144 | 32.98% | 21.53% | $62,827,000 | $41,970,000 | $28,420,000 | $20,962,000 |
| Jackson County | 43 | $13,108 | 35.2% | 23.37% | $58,746,000 | $41,282,000 | $23,190,000 | $17,434,000 |
| Grainger County | 44 | $13,012 | 30.68% | 21.56% | $115,030,000 | $85,198,000 | $49,180,000 | $35,355,000 |
| Lawrence County | 45 | $12,973 | 30.76% | 17.6% | $196,977,000 | $171,147,000 | $94,303,000 | $60,549,000 |
| Madison County | 46 | $12,950 | 24.77% | 18% | $420,877,000 | $301,237,000 | $267,436,000 | $165,783,000 |
| Coffee County | 47 | $12,890 | 27.48% | 17.57% | $259,259,000 | $213,808,000 | $126,861,000 | $79,889,000 |
| Jefferson County | 48 | $12,877 | 28.73% | 20.67% | $274,198,000 | $169,226,000 | $130,457,000 | $70,979,000 |
| McMinn County | 49 | $12,873 | 29.65% | 20.36% | $258,060,000 | $178,768,000 | $109,112,000 | $75,534,000 |
| Hamblen County | 50 | $12,864 | 27.51% | 17.5% | $290,735,000 | $217,665,000 | $148,929,000 | $91,185,000 |
| Lauderdale County | 51 | $12,862 | 32.39% | 16.65% | $97,232,000 | $92,292,000 | $56,269,000 | $48,928,000 |
| Crockett County | 52 | $12,859 | 27.23% | 19.15% | $61,392,000 | $46,014,000 | $31,597,000 | $21,562,000 |
| Anderson County | 53 | $12,818 | 24.92% | 20.11% | $381,710,000 | $264,116,000 | $171,643,000 | $99,886,000 |
| Weakley County | 54 | $12,807 | 28% | 18.43% | $142,522,000 | $113,518,000 | $77,503,000 | $42,328,000 |
| Lincoln County | 55 | $12,801 | 26.25% | 20% | $169,064,000 | $126,198,000 | $57,398,000 | $45,908,000 |
| Perry County | 56 | $12,741 | 35.88% | 21.44% | $39,094,000 | $27,731,000 | $18,588,000 | $11,864,000 |
| Putnam County | 57 | $12,695 | 26.29% | 16.41% | $339,759,000 | $279,473,000 | $188,540,000 | $102,198,000 |
| Wayne County | 58 | $12,458 | 34% | 19.45% | $72,893,000 | $58,326,000 | $30,287,000 | $20,084,000 |
| Overton County | 59 | $12,455 | 31.58% | 20.38% | $107,906,000 | $75,150,000 | $38,389,000 | $31,662,000 |
| Henderson County | 60 | $12,444 | 26.92% | 19% | $118,839,000 | $92,452,000 | $61,309,000 | $41,276,000 |
| DeKalb County | 61 | $12,390 | 25.66% | 18.89% | $90,999,000 | $70,351,000 | $44,381,000 | $30,530,000 |
| Lewis County | 62 | $12,333 | 29.6% | 21% | $52,524,000 | $41,140,000 | $27,592,000 | $17,928,000 |
| Franklin County | 63 | $12,305 | 26.45% | 20.67% | $212,139,000 | $146,048,000 | $70,934,000 | $49,692,000 |
| Polk County | 64 | $12,256 | 30% | 20.98% | $81,229,000 | $58,627,000 | $29,128,000 | $22,394,000 |
| Washington County | 65 | $12,248 | 22.94% | 19% | $615,751,000 | $409,911,000 | $256,367,000 | $146,731,000 |
| Sevier County | 66 | $12,198 | 23.21% | 20.61% | $466,105,000 | $330,162,000 | $149,408,000 | $110,367,000 |
| Union County | 67 | $12,124 | 29.67% | 18.9% | $89,503,000 | $53,126,000 | $48,784,000 | $32,668,000 |
| Fayette County | 68 | $12,000 | 16.32% | 23.14% | $219,387,000 | $155,440,000 | $56,475,000 | $46,378,000 |
| Dickson County | 69 | $11,745 | 22.74% | 16.74% | $224,915,000 | $172,195,000 | $109,757,000 | $62,040,000 |
| Hickman County | 70 | $11,646 | 27.36% | 18% | $102,365,000 | $79,928,000 | $45,791,000 | $34,111,000 |
| Bradley County | 71 | $11,568 | 24.55% | 17.48% | $471,621,000 | $338,648,000 | $201,292,000 | $136,267,000 |
| Blount County | 72 | $11,515 | 21.59% | 21.15% | $675,709,000 | $434,474,000 | $194,175,000 | $126,928,000 |
| Hamilton County | 73 | $11,478 | 18.91% | 18.39% | $1,557,930,000 | $1,122,807,000 | $648,196,000 | $446,126,000 |
| Cannon County | 74 | $11,469 | 26% | 18.19% | $64,596,000 | $41,946,000 | $24,947,000 | $18,531,000 |
| Morgan County | 75 | $11,358 | 30.7% | 19% | $96,108,000 | $54,051,000 | $38,349,000 | $29,472,000 |
| Chester County | 76 | $11,186 | 27.49% | 17.15% | $72,275,000 | $49,632,000 | $28,904,000 | $24,002,000 |
| Moore County | 77 | $11,126 | 22.88% | 22% | $30,387,000 | $15,742,000 | $7,107,000 | $5,717,000 |
| Macon County | 78 | $11,067 | 27.77% | 15.84% | $95,712,000 | $73,423,000 | $54,347,000 | $40,294,000 |
| Maury County | 79 | $11,045 | 20.86% | 17.23% | $446,118,000 | $325,434,000 | $170,963,000 | $109,145,000 |
| Tipton County | 80 | $10,983 | 22.48% | 15.79% | $233,077,000 | $173,495,000 | $88,884,000 | $82,740,000 |
| Bledsoe County | 81 | $10,981 | 31.53% | 21.39% | $60,464,000 | $41,210,000 | $25,602,000 | $20,072,000 |
| Shelby County | 82 | $10,933 | 18.61% | 14.79% | $3,012,928,000 | $2,348,153,000 | $1,759,589,000 | $1,874,568,000 |
| Smith County | 83 | $10,931 | 22.75% | 17.18% | $82,689,000 | $57,197,000 | $34,770,000 | $25,650,000 |
| Cheatham County | 84 | $10,800 | 19.54% | 16.23% | $173,095,000 | $124,172,000 | $63,099,000 | $37,259,000 |
| Marshall County | 85 | $10,787 | 22.37% | 16.53% | $140,445,000 | $107,452,000 | $57,011,000 | $40,060,000 |
| Bedford County | 86 | $10,482 | 22.14% | 14.84% | $188,319,000 | $133,466,000 | $90,727,000 | $71,765,000 |
| Robertson County | 87 | $10,318 | 19.72% | 15.11% | $281,730,000 | $220,385,000 | $100,005,000 | $78,406,000 |
| Knox County | 88 | $10,209 | 16% | 16.26% | $1,887,634,000 | $1,307,317,000 | $740,493,000 | $495,325,000 |
| Montgomery County | 89 | $10,051 | 20.54% | 9.97% | $566,108,000 | $372,602,000 | $296,222,000 | $279,539,000 |
| Sumner County | 90 | $9,598 | 15.4% | 16.69% | $794,660,000 | $534,373,000 | $241,314,000 | $172,760,000 |
| Wilson County | 91 | $9,282 | 14.25% | 15.94% | $608,715,000 | $397,846,000 | $179,860,000 | $110,818,000 |
| Trousdale County | 92 | $8,910 | 23.77% | 12.93% | $35,730,000 | $32,560,000 | $17,467,000 | $12,394,000 |
| Davidson County | 93 | $8,747 | 10.22% | 13% | $1,985,872,000 | $1,552,026,000 | $1,169,656,000 | $824,136,000 |
| Rutherford County | 94 | $7,678 | 14.86% | 11.17% | $965,627,000 | $649,728,000 | $421,015,000 | $330,561,000 |
| Williamson County | 95 | $6,852 | 5.71% | 14.76% | $889,097,000 | $512,886,000 | $107,849,000 | $82,864,000 |
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