Weber Times

In 2022, Weber County ranked 11th lowest per capita recipient of government transfers in Utah, with residents receiving $8,174 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 Weber County received $2.2 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 16% of total county income.

Comparatively, across all counties in Utah, government transfer payments totaled $25.5 billion, making up 12.7% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $7,551 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 Weber County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $679.6 million, amounting to $2,521 per capita, or 30.8% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $492.1 million ($1,826 per capita), representing 22.3% of the total. Medicaid contributed $383.3 million ($1,422 per capita), making up 17.4% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $276.8 million ($1,027 per capita), or 12.6% of the total.

With 12.4% of the population aged 65 and older, Weber County has a demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Weber County was $42,964, noticeably below the county’s total income of $51,138, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.

When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Weber County saw a decrease of 20.1% in per capita government transfers, from $10,349 to $8,174 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 Weber County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 7.34% (or $1,701 per capita) in 1970 to 16% (or $8,174 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 ($)
Piute County	1	$15,964	24.44%	29.27%	$8,047,000	$6,106,000	$5,136,000	$2,060,000
Carbon County	2	$13,812	30.48%	19%	$95,274,000	$60,623,000	$65,795,000	$30,682,000
Grand County	3	$12,259	17.52%	20.4%	$40,614,000	$28,379,000	$23,088,000	$10,737,000
Wayne County	4	$11,823	23.34%	23%	$12,770,000	$7,472,000	$2,871,000	$3,132,000
Daggett County	5	$11,542	24.67%	26.21%	$5,529,000	$3,417,000	$390,000	$755,000
Emery County	6	$11,537	29.16%	17.77%	$46,329,000	$25,966,000	$20,219,000	$11,680,000
Kane County	7	$11,398	22.28%	23.59%	$40,824,000	$23,805,000	$9,182,000	$7,282,000
Sevier County	8	$11,350	26.23%	17%	$86,397,000	$56,032,000	$49,583,000	$28,148,000
Garfield County	9	$11,323	20.3%	23%	$22,861,000	$15,293,000	$7,859,000	$5,481,000
Beaver County	10	$11,102	23.29%	15.1%	$23,456,000	$20,775,000	$14,441,000	$8,499,000
San Juan County	11	$10,857	30.5%	15.24%	$38,977,000	$31,947,000	$39,810,000	$31,590,000
Washington County	12	$10,642	20.97%	22.19%	$872,847,000	$563,772,000	$199,237,000	$174,132,000
Sanpete County	13	$10,308	24.53%	14.54%	$101,659,000	$66,136,000	$58,971,000	$34,579,000
Millard County	14	$10,183	21.56%	17.41%	$48,709,000	$31,878,000	$22,409,000	$16,453,000
Duchesne County	15	$10,153	22.16%	13.36%	$70,107,000	$45,886,000	$36,956,000	$27,956,000
Iron County	16	$9,153	23.1%	13.82%	$185,564,000	$113,071,000	$89,425,000	$73,313,000
Juab County	17	$8,883	18%	11.94%	$34,577,000	$24,201,000	$24,279,000	$12,890,000
Rich County	18	$8,683	19.2%	20.42%	$9,806,000	$4,515,000	$2,221,000	$2,368,000
Weber County	19	$8,174	15.98%	12.37%	$679,586,000	$492,140,000	$383,325,000	$276,760,000
Salt Lake County	20	$7,872	11.87%	11.94%	$3,037,674,000	$1,993,412,000	$1,912,208,000	$1,044,755,000
Uintah County	21	$7,862	21.56%	12.36%	$102,080,000	$62,252,000	$46,944,000	$46,860,000
Box Elder County	22	$7,727	16.64%	12.93%	$177,357,000	$108,773,000	$70,785,000	$56,986,000
Summit County	23	$7,022	3.11%	15.61%	$147,157,000	$79,280,000	$17,999,000	$17,358,000
Cache County	24	$6,868	14.17%	10%	$306,376,000	$201,648,000	$155,964,000	$128,138,000
Wasatch County	25	$6,578	7.94%	13.88%	$107,361,000	$57,329,000	$18,928,000	$20,173,000
Davis County	26	$6,554	11.27%	11%	$865,744,000	$551,918,000	$337,714,000	$252,690,000
Tooele County	27	$6,275	13.45%	9.28%	$160,545,000	$117,237,000	$75,152,000	$69,956,000
Morgan County	28	$6,199	9%	12.49%	$33,994,000	$20,739,000	$3,355,000	$5,646,000
Utah County	29	$5,728	10.64%	7.88%	$1,235,669,000	$780,392,000	$758,741,000	$552,232,000