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 Brevard County received $8.5 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 23.8% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Florida, government transfer payments totaled $272.9 billion, making up 18.9% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $12,269 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 Brevard County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $3.3 billion, amounting to $5,301 per capita, or 39.2% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $2.4 billion ($3,811 per capita), representing 28.2% of the total. Medicaid contributed $825.6 million ($1,309 per capita), making up 9.7% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $583.7 million ($926 per capita), or 6.8% of the total.
With 24.5% of the population aged 65 and older, Brevard County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Brevard County was $43,288, far below the county’s total income of $56,817, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Brevard County saw a decrease of 14.1% in per capita government transfers, from $16,084 to $13,529 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 Brevard County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 5.27% (or $1,294 per capita) in 1970 to 23.8% (or $13,529 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County | 1 | $22,504 | 32.51% | 57.4% | $1,755,907,000 | $1,067,683,000 | $87,390,000 | $77,952,000 |
| Citrus County | 2 | $17,731 | 39.12% | 36.29% | $1,232,680,000 | $895,878,000 | $250,681,000 | $160,347,000 |
| Charlotte County | 3 | $17,123 | 32.17% | 40.47% | $1,565,862,000 | $1,171,808,000 | $227,762,000 | $142,093,000 |
| Highlands County | 4 | $16,753 | 40% | 36.11% | $669,624,000 | $578,705,000 | $175,839,000 | $141,299,000 |
| Indian River County | 5 | $16,143 | 15.34% | 34.88% | $1,207,446,000 | $863,801,000 | $194,960,000 | $143,354,000 |
| Flagler County | 6 | $15,418 | 25.57% | 31.27% | $853,021,000 | $596,064,000 | $135,799,000 | $109,076,000 |
| Sarasota County | 7 | $15,361 | 18.28% | 37.4% | $3,277,654,000 | $2,371,190,000 | $496,182,000 | $282,022,000 |
| Hernando County | 8 | $15,288 | 32.81% | 26.35% | $1,207,311,000 | $1,013,001,000 | $302,885,000 | $232,887,000 |
| Putnam County | 9 | $15,200 | 38.54% | 23.89% | $381,489,000 | $323,849,000 | $180,285,000 | $131,059,000 |
| Madison County | 10 | $15,073 | 37% | 22.68% | $83,504,000 | $73,705,000 | $51,092,000 | $30,731,000 |
| Jackson County | 11 | $15,032 | 37.89% | 20.71% | $208,262,000 | $176,935,000 | $172,070,000 | $70,931,000 |
| Marion County | 12 | $14,969 | 33.62% | 28.77% | $2,363,273,000 | $1,789,866,000 | $595,321,000 | $490,752,000 |
| Hamilton County | 13 | $14,564 | 42.76% | 20.37% | $56,037,000 | $51,038,000 | $35,831,000 | $22,819,000 |
| Suwannee County | 14 | $14,560 | 34.95% | 21.91% | $215,377,000 | $179,072,000 | $106,754,000 | $67,275,000 |
| Holmes County | 15 | $14,408 | 37.31% | 20.12% | $87,993,000 | $73,677,000 | $49,943,000 | $31,166,000 |
| Levy County | 16 | $14,370 | 32.75% | 25.38% | $236,097,000 | $186,528,000 | $79,633,000 | $62,681,000 |
| Dixie County | 17 | $14,326 | 40.77% | 24.65% | $79,725,000 | $72,527,000 | $36,953,000 | $27,579,000 |
| Martin County | 18 | $14,305 | 12.96% | 32.19% | $1,040,770,000 | $781,901,000 | $165,803,000 | $103,454,000 |
| Gadsden County | 19 | $14,296 | 32.34% | 20% | $189,321,000 | $150,749,000 | $108,799,000 | $90,752,000 |
| Volusia County | 20 | $14,247 | 26.6% | 25.35% | $3,136,420,000 | $2,410,978,000 | $916,092,000 | $627,605,000 |
| Pinellas County | 21 | $14,197 | 20.68% | 26.4% | $5,050,696,000 | $4,250,389,000 | $1,799,384,000 | $876,391,000 |
| Gulf County | 22 | $14,156 | 29.16% | 23% | $78,093,000 | $69,383,000 | $25,061,000 | $15,464,000 |
| Columbia County | 23 | $14,126 | 32.71% | 20.36% | $315,748,000 | $264,444,000 | $154,208,000 | $109,140,000 |
| Lake County | 24 | $13,674 | 26.15% | 26.67% | $2,228,590,000 | $1,738,317,000 | $525,845,000 | $400,570,000 |
| Calhoun County | 25 | $13,559 | 37.36% | 19.21% | $53,166,000 | $48,737,000 | $39,466,000 | $18,923,000 |
| Taylor County | 26 | $13,539 | 36.57% | 21.93% | $100,260,000 | $69,307,000 | $47,475,000 | $35,950,000 |
| Brevard County | 27 | $13,529 | 23.81% | 24.49% | $3,343,125,000 | $2,403,269,000 | $825,621,000 | $583,724,000 |
| Jefferson County | 28 | $13,415 | 27.2% | 24.64% | $70,574,000 | $54,159,000 | $31,684,000 | $18,237,000 |
| Lee County | 29 | $13,391 | 21% | 29.14% | $4,441,109,000 | $3,119,559,000 | $949,403,000 | $772,678,000 |
| Collier County | 30 | $13,205 | 10% | 33.87% | $2,388,531,000 | $1,644,444,000 | $301,506,000 | $279,096,000 |
| Okeechobee County | 31 | $13,125 | 32.41% | 20.9% | $166,885,000 | $163,884,000 | $85,927,000 | $59,905,000 |
| St. Lucie County | 32 | $13,087 | 24.99% | 24.55% | $1,760,187,000 | $1,366,530,000 | $541,611,000 | $399,914,000 |
| Escambia County | 33 | $12,922 | 24.73% | 17.95% | $1,347,710,000 | $1,046,978,000 | $636,978,000 | $417,588,000 |
| Franklin County | 34 | $12,772 | 28% | 27.38% | $61,188,000 | $39,391,000 | $21,269,000 | $14,358,000 |
| Bradford County | 35 | $12,753 | 30.69% | 19% | $108,713,000 | $95,881,000 | $62,083,000 | $38,421,000 |
| Miami-Dade County | 36 | $12,697 | 18.54% | 17.14% | $6,733,319,000 | $9,997,989,000 | $6,477,185,000 | $4,589,755,000 |
| Washington County | 37 | $12,678 | 34.9% | 18.83% | $104,052,000 | $76,463,000 | $59,286,000 | $33,261,000 |
| Nassau County | 38 | $12,626 | 16.52% | 23.78% | $522,318,000 | $336,048,000 | $108,790,000 | $69,447,000 |
| Manatee County | 39 | $12,606 | 21.12% | 28.51% | $2,324,532,000 | $1,709,907,000 | $439,428,000 | $367,048,000 |
| Gilchrist County | 40 | $12,368 | 29.32% | 20.81% | $80,363,000 | $64,171,000 | $35,178,000 | $23,501,000 |
| Bay County | 41 | $12,361 | 22.78% | 18.25% | $743,411,000 | $576,704,000 | $323,262,000 | $201,245,000 |
| DeSoto County | 42 | $12,295 | 37.38% | 23.74% | $140,645,000 | $132,194,000 | $58,108,000 | $50,647,000 |
| Palm Beach County | 43 | $12,289 | 11.27% | 24.96% | $7,069,492,000 | $5,986,906,000 | $1,964,633,000 | $1,426,752,000 |
| Pasco County | 44 | $12,276 | 23.34% | 21.91% | $2,779,281,000 | $2,270,532,000 | $783,501,000 | $591,341,000 |
| Okaloosa County | 45 | $12,181 | 20.31% | 16.57% | $839,415,000 | $608,490,000 | $261,451,000 | $193,050,000 |
| Monroe County | 46 | $11,949 | 10% | 24.7% | $357,089,000 | $263,399,000 | $74,495,000 | $59,368,000 |
| Polk County | 47 | $11,778 | 27.25% | 19.49% | $3,193,364,000 | $2,617,273,000 | $1,115,138,000 | $1,170,655,000 |
| Clay County | 48 | $11,744 | 21.87% | 17.18% | $905,708,000 | $685,148,000 | $263,471,000 | $207,296,000 |
| Hardee County | 49 | $11,290 | 32.29% | 16.78% | $80,510,000 | $78,550,000 | $50,567,000 | $43,739,000 |
| Baker County | 50 | $11,240 | 25.11% | 14.99% | $97,058,000 | $86,736,000 | $50,719,000 | $38,215,000 |
| Santa Rosa County | 51 | $11,194 | 19.49% | 16.68% | $764,437,000 | $546,216,000 | $191,062,000 | $152,499,000 |
| Hendry County | 52 | $11,156 | 28.42% | 13.52% | $112,344,000 | $104,583,000 | $98,409,000 | $77,871,000 |
| Duval County | 53 | $10,827 | 19.28% | 15.32% | $3,275,225,000 | $2,814,220,000 | $1,709,936,000 | $1,335,804,000 |
| Lafayette County | 54 | $10,771 | 31.77% | 19.12% | $28,166,000 | $20,152,000 | $15,682,000 | $8,553,000 |
| Liberty County | 55 | $10,702 | 32.91% | 17.25% | $26,215,000 | $21,292,000 | $14,043,000 | $10,681,000 |
| Broward County | 56 | $10,589 | 16% | 18% | $6,203,983,000 | $5,975,842,000 | $2,736,061,000 | $2,262,721,000 |
| Walton County | 57 | $10,530 | 11.93% | 20.16% | $351,482,000 | $238,428,000 | $78,474,000 | $65,207,000 |
| St. Johns County | 58 | $10,450 | 11.82% | 21% | $1,399,701,000 | $942,497,000 | $200,604,000 | $149,902,000 |
| Hillsborough County | 59 | $10,415 | 17.5% | 15% | $4,745,436,000 | $4,227,787,000 | $2,218,028,000 | $1,899,684,000 |
| Wakulla County | 60 | $10,306 | 21.57% | 16.91% | $134,511,000 | $98,554,000 | $36,905,000 | $33,705,000 |
| Osceola County | 61 | $10,292 | 23.21% | 13.47% | $1,176,276,000 | $1,017,702,000 | $645,669,000 | $631,760,000 |
| Alachua County | 62 | $10,044 | 19.1% | 15.33% | $927,482,000 | $716,237,000 | $498,868,000 | $272,448,000 |
| Seminole County | 63 | $9,554 | 16% | 16.66% | $1,705,684,000 | $1,269,707,000 | $476,938,000 | $420,288,000 |
| Leon County | 64 | $9,483 | 17.48% | 14.78% | $985,200,000 | $635,225,000 | $389,096,000 | $308,622,000 |
| Orange County | 65 | $9,461 | 17% | 13.12% | $3,688,045,000 | $3,360,674,000 | $2,085,547,000 | $1,823,295,000 |
| Glades County | 66 | $9,232 | 29.39% | 26% | $51,965,000 | $25,682,000 | $7,381,000 | $11,932,000 |
| Union County | 67 | $9,074 | 34.19% | 16% | $43,106,000 | $37,617,000 | $21,818,000 | $18,980,000 |
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