Quantcast

Metro East Sun

Saturday, March 1, 2025

St. Clair County: Income Maintenance transfers accounted for 4.1% of income in 2022

Webp 0hnhlyuuc9xj2udn55epo7xz58bs

John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website

John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website

In 2022, Income Maintenance transfers in St. Clair County totaled $567.78 million, amounting to $2,247 per capita, or 16.8% of total government transfers, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.

Among all government transfer programs, Income Maintenance was the smallest contributor in the county. Social Security was the largest contributor, totaling $932.89 million, equating to $3,692 per capita and making up 27.7% of total transfers.

Comparatively, Income Maintenance transfers across Illinois amounted to $20.37 billion, ranking lowest among all transfer types within the state. This translates to an average of $1,619 per capita, or 14.9% of total government transfers. Including all transfer types, government transfer payments totaled $136.49 billion, accounting for 16% of residents’ total income, with an average of $10,848 per resident.

Medicare was the second largest contributor in St. Clair County in 2022, accounting for $700.84 million, averaging $2,774 per capita, representing 20.8% of transfers. Medicaid transfers provided another $643.23 million, averaging $2,546 per capita and comprising 19.1% of government support, making them the third largest contributors.

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, St. Clair County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Despite this aid, the total per capita income in St. Clair County, excluding government transfers was $41,314, which is noticeably below the county's total income of $54,666, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.

When comparing 2022 to the previous year, St. Clair County saw a decrease in its Income Maintenance transfer dependency by 0.1%.

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 St. Clair County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 11% (or $2,420 per capita) in 1970 to 24.4% (or $13,353 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.

Breakdown of Government Transfers by Program in St. Clair, 2022

Social Security (27.7% or $932.89 million)Medicare (20.8% or $700.84 million)Medicaid (19.1% or $643.23 million)Income Maintenance (16.8% or $567.78 million)All Other Government Transfers (15.7% or $529.1 million)

2022 Illinois County Rankings and Government Transfer Dependency Metrics
CountyRankDependency on Transfers (%)% Population 65+Social Security Transfers (%)Medicare Transfers (%)Medicaid Transfers (%)Income Maintenance Transfers (%)Per Capita Transfers ($)
Cook County115.6%16.1%4%3.5%4.3%2.7%$11,388
DuPage County210%17.4%4.2%2.7%1.1%0.9%$8,865
Lake County39.3%15.8%3.6%2.6%1.1%1.1%$8,746
Will County413%14.5%5.1%3.6%1.2%1.6%$8,251
Kane County513.4%15.6%5.2%3.4%1.6%2%$8,539
Winnebago County624.1%18.6%8.5%5.5%4%4.3%$12,038
St. Clair County724.4%17.3%6.8%5.1%4.7%4.1%$13,353
Madison County821.6%18.5%7.5%5.5%3.6%2.8%$12,071
McHenry County913.7%16.4%5.8%4.4%0.8%1.2%$8,989
Sangamon County1020.3%19.4%7.5%5.2%2.7%2.9%$11,592
Peoria County1120.3%18.4%7.1%4.5%3.4%3.6%$11,651
Champaign County1214.5%14.1%4.5%3.6%1.9%2.7%$7,920
Rock Island County1323.7%20.5%8.7%5.8%3.6%3.5%$11,541
Tazewell County1419.9%19.9%8.2%5%2.9%2.1%$11,262
McLean County1514.2%14.6%5.6%3.4%1.4%2.1%$8,250
Macon County1624%21.1%8.1%5.6%4.3%3.7%$13,606
Kankakee County1725%17.8%7.9%6.4%5%3.8%$12,783
LaSalle County1821.9%20%8.7%5.7%2.9%2.8%$11,653
Vermilion County1929.2%20.4%9%7%4.9%5.5%$14,318
DeKalb County2018.3%13.9%6.2%5%2.2%2.6%$9,349
Williamson County2124.4%20.1%8%5.8%4.1%3.6%$12,651
Kendall County2210.2%11.2%4.6%2.7%0.4%1.3%$5,985
Adams County2322.4%20.8%7.7%6.1%3.5%2.9%$12,604
Whiteside County2426%22%9.4%6.4%5.1%2.8%$13,588
Knox County2531.8%22.5%9.4%6.7%8%3.8%$14,923
Jackson County2626.1%16.8%6.9%6%4.7%5.2%$12,095
Marion County2734.2%20.1%8.8%9.1%8.1%4.7%$17,107
Stephenson County2825.6%24.2%9.7%6.9%3.3%3.6%$13,544
Macoupin County2926.1%21.8%9.7%6.9%4%2.9%$13,295
Coles County3023.8%18.6%7.1%6%4.5%3.4%$12,430
Franklin County3134%20.9%10.4%8.2%6.8%4.9%$15,398
Ogle County3219.7%19.7%8%5.1%2.4%2.5%$10,783
Henry County3319.5%21.7%8.2%5%2.3%2.2%$10,939
Jefferson County3429.5%20%9.1%7.1%5.7%4.5%$13,930
Boone County3517.1%17%7.1%4.3%1.8%2.2%$9,468
Grundy County3614.4%15.1%6.2%4.4%1.1%1.4%$8,778
Fulton County3728.3%21.4%9.9%6.7%5.9%3.4%$13,558
Christian County3826.7%20.1%9.3%6.9%5.2%3.1%$13,111
Morgan County3926.8%21.2%9.2%6.7%5.3%3.3%$13,419
Lee County4023.5%21.1%8.9%6.3%4.4%2%$12,225
Clinton County4119%18.6%6.8%4.6%3.6%1.7%$11,193
Livingston County4219.9%20%7.9%5%3.2%2.3%$11,269
Effingham County4318.6%18.8%6.7%5.1%2.7%1.9%$11,579
Saline County4436.6%21.5%10.2%8%9.8%5.1%$17,090
Randolph County4528%21%9.7%7.6%4.8%3.3%$12,984
Bureau County4622.5%23.1%9.2%5.6%3.1%2.6%$11,610
Montgomery County4730.7%21.1%10.5%7.7%6.3%3.5%$13,336
Woodford County4815.4%19.2%6.9%3.9%1.9%1.3%$9,752
Iroquois County4924.1%22.7%8.6%6.5%4.2%2.9%$13,810
Monroe County5014.6%19.7%6.4%4.1%1.4%0.8%$10,035
Logan County5124.6%19.6%9%6%4.6%3.1%$11,890
McDonough County5224.1%19%7.3%6.4%3.8%3.5%$11,598
Jersey County5324.9%20.7%9.4%7.4%3.8%2.3%$13,060
Jo Daviess County5421.7%30%10.1%6.3%1.4%1.7%$12,579
Union County5533.9%22.5%9.4%6.9%10.4%4.5%$16,320
Shelby County5624.1%23.7%8.9%6.8%3.4%2.4%$12,657
Fayette County5727.4%18.9%8.7%6.7%5.8%3.9%$12,226
Perry County5829.4%20.3%10.1%8%4.3%3.8%$12,597
Edgar County5926.2%24.5%8.6%7.1%5%3.4%$14,731
Crawford County6024.2%20%8.9%6.8%3.6%2.8%$12,626
Hancock County6124%24.5%9.2%6.4%3.3%2.6%$13,443
Massac County6235.2%22%11%8.4%7.6%5.1%$15,812
White County6327.5%23.2%8.8%7.2%5.6%3.3%$15,608
Lawrence County6436.1%18.8%10.1%8.4%10.7%4.1%$14,211
Richland County6526.4%21.1%8.3%6.5%5.1%3.5%$13,718
Pike County6626.2%21.9%8%7.4%5.2%3.2%$14,458
Douglas County6716.7%18.8%6%4.4%2.7%1.9%$10,542
Wayne County6826.4%22.3%8.8%6.5%5.7%3.2%$12,992
Carroll County6925.5%24.7%9.4%6.8%3.9%2.6%$13,184
Bond County7027.2%18.8%9.1%7.5%4.4%3.4%$12,338
Clay County7131.6%21.1%9%7.4%9.2%3.6%$15,563
Clark County7226%20.1%9%7.4%4.3%3%$13,295
Mercer County7321.3%21.8%8.5%6.1%2.5%1.9%$12,576
Warren County7421%20.3%7%5.3%3.4%2.9%$11,619
De Witt County7521.5%20.6%8.1%5.3%3.8%2.5%$12,327
Mason County7626.3%22.8%9%7.5%4.4%3.2%$14,794
Piatt County7716.4%21.2%6.4%5.4%1.9%1.2%$10,973
Washington County7820.2%21.7%7.6%5.8%3%1.7%$12,246
Moultrie County7915.5%19.1%5.6%4%2.9%1.6%$11,637
Ford County8019.3%19.5%6.6%5.3%3.5%2.1%$12,408
Greene County8126.3%21.1%8.4%7.4%4.5%3.7%$14,050
Marshall County8223.3%24.1%9.4%5.8%3.7%2.4%$13,256
Johnson County8328.6%19.7%10.3%7.9%3.9%3.3%$11,238
Wabash County8425.8%22.6%9.2%6.9%4.3%3%$13,470
Cass County8523.3%18.3%7.3%5.6%4.6%3.1%$11,658
Menard County8620.7%20.6%8%5.9%2.8%1.9%$11,855
Cumberland County8713%21.2%4.7%3.5%2%1.5%$11,661
Jasper County8823%21.1%8.1%6.8%3.3%2.3%$12,986
Alexander County8950.5%25%10.5%7.9%15.9%12.7%$24,592
Hamilton County9026.7%22.2%7.9%6.3%7.2%3%$14,269
Pulaski County9142.8%23.3%10.8%8.8%11.6%7.4%$19,657
Gallatin County9231.9%25.5%9.8%8.4%6.7%4%$17,397
Schuyler County9322.9%23.7%8%6.8%2.7%2.5%$12,216
Henderson County9423%27.7%8.9%5.9%2.5%2.4%$13,204
Stark County9521.1%23.1%7.7%5.9%3.9%2.1%$13,238
Edwards County9623.1%22.7%9.4%6.2%2.6%2.6%$11,482
Hardin County9741.2%27.2%12.1%10.5%10.6%5%$18,945
Putnam County9817.2%24.9%8.1%4.7%1.3%1.5%$11,530
Calhoun County9924.4%25.1%9.7%6.6%3.6%2.4%$13,500
Scott County10020.9%21.4%7.2%6.1%3.2%2.4%$11,631
Brown County10118.7%14.9%6.6%4.7%3.9%2%$8,751
Pope County10239.5%31.3%15.3%7.8%6.5%6.3%$14,432

MORE NEWS