In 2022, Lackawanna County ranked 32nd highest per capita recipient of government transfers in Pennsylvania, with residents receiving $13,869 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 Lackawanna County received $3 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 25.4% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Pennsylvania, government transfer payments totaled $168.5 billion, making up 20.1% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $12,986 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 Lackawanna County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $985.5 million, amounting to $4,571 per capita, or 33% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $734.6 million ($3,407 per capita), representing 24.6% of the total. Medicaid contributed $728.9 million ($3,381 per capita), making up 24.4% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $304.2 million ($1,411 per capita), or 10.2% of the total.
With 20.6% of the population aged 65 and older, Lackawanna County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Lackawanna County was $40,738, far below the county’s total income of $54,607, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Lackawanna County saw a decrease of 20.1% in per capita government transfers, from $17,340 to $13,869 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 Lackawanna County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 13.56% (or $2,873 per capita) in 1970 to 25.4% (or $13,869 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron County | 1 | $18,415 | 36.42% | 29.51% | $28,805,000 | $23,501,000 | $16,300,000 | $6,725,000 |
| Venango County | 2 | $17,835 | 36.65% | 25% | $284,412,000 | $200,162,000 | $271,925,000 | $73,404,000 |
| Cambria County | 3 | $16,796 | 35% | 23.99% | $685,523,000 | $548,190,000 | $592,682,000 | $188,107,000 |
| Sullivan County | 4 | $16,605 | 29.62% | 31.67% | $38,202,000 | $24,550,000 | $22,177,000 | $5,078,000 |
| Fayette County | 5 | $16,531 | 34.26% | 22.67% | $637,383,000 | $489,458,000 | $558,731,000 | $235,191,000 |
| Philadelphia County | 6 | $16,072 | 28.31% | 14.72% | $4,319,547,000 | $4,571,319,000 | $10,913,364,000 | $4,036,311,000 |
| Lawrence County | 7 | $15,463 | 30.52% | 23.31% | $437,590,000 | $339,129,000 | $317,027,000 | $127,513,000 |
| Warren County | 8 | $15,398 | 31.35% | 24.72% | $210,948,000 | $147,383,000 | $130,661,000 | $45,374,000 |
| Blair County | 9 | $15,291 | 27.75% | 21.6% | $552,479,000 | $452,796,000 | $462,328,000 | $173,066,000 |
| Potter County | 10 | $15,254 | 31.53% | 25.65% | $89,762,000 | $63,958,000 | $50,895,000 | $20,356,000 |
| Crawford County | 11 | $15,142 | 31.72% | 22.65% | $414,529,000 | $353,133,000 | $267,099,000 | $111,590,000 |
| Wayne County | 12 | $14,968 | 28.2% | 25.59% | $291,510,000 | $235,197,000 | $124,252,000 | $51,923,000 |
| Mercer County | 13 | $14,941 | 31.22% | 23.14% | $568,813,000 | $414,735,000 | $386,718,000 | $149,262,000 |
| McKean County | 14 | $14,906 | 30.55% | 20.96% | $201,096,000 | $142,853,000 | $148,285,000 | $60,368,000 |
| Snyder County | 15 | $14,679 | 28.37% | 20.47% | $168,614,000 | $130,987,000 | $210,049,000 | $33,503,000 |
| Northumberland County | 16 | $14,644 | 30.73% | 22.25% | $435,229,000 | $359,849,000 | $308,017,000 | $122,374,000 |
| Beaver County | 17 | $14,576 | 26.59% | 22.73% | $870,161,000 | $565,377,000 | $615,427,000 | $188,786,000 |
| Greene County | 18 | $14,564 | 29.34% | 21% | $163,964,000 | $108,087,000 | $135,973,000 | $53,290,000 |
| Bedford County | 19 | $14,480 | 29.27% | 23.93% | $243,468,000 | $203,075,000 | $132,485,000 | $53,305,000 |
| Jefferson County | 20 | $14,431 | 30.3% | 22.17% | $214,022,000 | $175,864,000 | $140,845,000 | $52,075,000 |
| Armstrong County | 21 | $14,396 | 26.49% | 23.91% | $341,593,000 | $210,788,000 | $229,136,000 | $82,276,000 |
| Clearfield County | 22 | $14,270 | 27.3% | 22% | $380,557,000 | $289,305,000 | $258,903,000 | $96,173,000 |
| Clarion County | 23 | $14,222 | 30.61% | 20.5% | $182,229,000 | $126,000,000 | $137,465,000 | $44,115,000 |
| Somerset County | 24 | $14,166 | 29.75% | 23.88% | $372,403,000 | $280,854,000 | $210,227,000 | $82,465,000 |
| Westmoreland County | 25 | $14,161 | 23.8% | 24.26% | $1,979,488,000 | $1,274,175,000 | $1,063,192,000 | $340,112,000 |
| Erie County | 26 | $14,153 | 27.54% | 19.64% | $1,209,959,000 | $831,406,000 | $1,031,845,000 | $436,762,000 |
| Schuylkill County | 27 | $14,106 | 29% | 21% | $697,995,000 | $548,619,000 | $430,008,000 | $176,869,000 |
| Montour County | 28 | $13,951 | 21.1% | 21.85% | $89,995,000 | $71,250,000 | $58,225,000 | $14,888,000 |
| Elk County | 29 | $13,910 | 27.7% | 23.79% | $170,914,000 | $111,049,000 | $81,359,000 | $30,423,000 |
| Carbon County | 30 | $13,892 | 23.7% | 22.42% | $336,402,000 | $266,613,000 | $160,304,000 | $69,438,000 |
| Susquehanna County | 31 | $13,888 | 23.58% | 25.34% | $205,659,000 | $144,975,000 | $89,593,000 | $42,375,000 |
| Lackawanna County | 32 | $13,869 | 25.4% | 20.55% | $985,544,000 | $734,620,000 | $728,923,000 | $304,173,000 |
| Mifflin County | 33 | $13,572 | 29.43% | 21.8% | $214,195,000 | $158,149,000 | $147,698,000 | $59,030,000 |
| Lycoming County | 34 | $13,490 | 27% | 20.65% | $536,577,000 | $379,584,000 | $341,732,000 | $141,943,000 |
| Forest County | 35 | $13,416 | 47.9% | 25% | $33,995,000 | $24,244,000 | $18,420,000 | $5,136,000 |
| Luzerne County | 36 | $13,413 | 26.5% | 20.11% | $1,436,086,000 | $1,086,954,000 | $1,009,716,000 | $496,869,000 |
| Tioga County | 37 | $13,403 | 29.15% | 23.43% | $207,086,000 | $129,974,000 | $111,314,000 | $48,854,000 |
| Indiana County | 38 | $13,336 | 29.25% | 20.56% | $388,749,000 | $288,644,000 | $243,013,000 | $91,206,000 |
| Bradford County | 39 | $13,251 | 27.49% | 22.43% | $292,923,000 | $189,710,000 | $168,241,000 | $74,338,000 |
| Washington County | 40 | $13,241 | 19.98% | 21.96% | $1,103,545,000 | $692,553,000 | $579,679,000 | $205,389,000 |
| Fulton County | 41 | $13,201 | 27.49% | 22.65% | $71,473,000 | $52,460,000 | $37,841,000 | $15,792,000 |
| Huntingdon County | 42 | $13,171 | 29.24% | 22.42% | $203,532,000 | $139,473,000 | $132,017,000 | $47,365,000 |
| Wyoming County | 43 | $13,099 | 24.1% | 22.88% | $135,798,000 | $82,388,000 | $64,558,000 | $28,623,000 |
| Clinton County | 44 | $12,968 | 28.27% | 20% | $169,081,000 | $126,470,000 | $105,165,000 | $43,670,000 |
| Columbia County | 45 | $12,854 | 25.78% | 20.12% | $297,315,000 | $223,072,000 | $161,874,000 | $67,451,000 |
| Delaware County | 46 | $12,830 | 16.4% | 17.44% | $2,318,092,000 | $1,736,333,000 | $2,179,302,000 | $625,156,000 |
| Lebanon County | 47 | $12,548 | 22.32% | 20.44% | $656,606,000 | $461,734,000 | $374,473,000 | $152,665,000 |
| Dauphin County | 48 | $12,491 | 21.64% | 18% | $1,149,323,000 | $866,208,000 | $879,664,000 | $409,603,000 |
| Pike County | 49 | $12,484 | 21.89% | 24.13% | $326,304,000 | $189,339,000 | $119,017,000 | $51,387,000 |
| Lehigh County | 50 | $12,427 | 19.76% | 17.65% | $1,541,258,000 | $1,202,397,000 | $1,145,102,000 | $476,814,000 |
| Northampton County | 51 | $12,350 | 19.35% | 20.24% | $1,503,030,000 | $1,100,089,000 | $756,877,000 | $282,980,000 |
| Berks County | 52 | $12,311 | 21.15% | 18% | $1,770,384,000 | $1,344,674,000 | $1,278,799,000 | $523,981,000 |
| Allegheny County | 53 | $12,236 | 17.27% | 20.18% | $5,437,532,000 | $3,598,898,000 | $3,746,033,000 | $1,327,376,000 |
| Perry County | 54 | $12,147 | 22.48% | 20.56% | $209,780,000 | $157,878,000 | $91,255,000 | $40,518,000 |
| Monroe County | 55 | $12,099 | 22.98% | 19.6% | $754,142,000 | $523,022,000 | $377,787,000 | $181,582,000 |
| Franklin County | 56 | $12,092 | 21.9% | 20.27% | $696,076,000 | $518,962,000 | $377,546,000 | $152,186,000 |
| Juniata County | 57 | $11,913 | 21% | 21.4% | $103,020,000 | $71,146,000 | $56,482,000 | $21,689,000 |
| Adams County | 58 | $11,892 | 21.39% | 21.64% | $520,034,000 | $354,806,000 | $197,427,000 | $75,992,000 |
| York County | 59 | $11,831 | 20.64% | 18.79% | $1,999,942,000 | $1,445,897,000 | $1,082,025,000 | $462,929,000 |
| Bucks County | 60 | $11,805 | 13.61% | 20.58% | $3,141,530,000 | $2,175,292,000 | $1,359,388,000 | $373,835,000 |
| Butler County | 61 | $11,413 | 16.51% | 20.63% | $938,891,000 | $555,220,000 | $425,038,000 | $132,381,000 |
| Montgomery County | 62 | $11,142 | 11.9% | 18.8% | $3,817,473,000 | $2,654,101,000 | $1,981,606,000 | $502,790,000 |
| Lancaster County | 63 | $10,980 | 17.42% | 19.66% | $2,391,986,000 | $1,508,366,000 | $1,266,521,000 | $497,891,000 |
| Cumberland County | 64 | $10,959 | 16.83% | 18.95% | $1,130,762,000 | $839,566,000 | $466,030,000 | $196,183,000 |
| Union County | 65 | $9,898 | 19.38% | 19.27% | $169,425,000 | $110,908,000 | $80,205,000 | $28,693,000 |
| Chester County | 66 | $9,806 | 9.7% | 17.74% | $2,241,700,000 | $1,410,532,000 | $954,228,000 | $261,866,000 |
| Centre County | 67 | $8,841 | 16.17% | 15.97% | $531,681,000 | $374,609,000 | $206,651,000 | $73,491,000 |
