Yakima Times

In 2022, Income Maintenance transfers in Yakima County totaled $548.2 million, amounting to $2,133 per capita, or 15.8% of total government transfers, according to information from the Economic Innovation Group.

Among all government transfer programs, Income Maintenance was the second smallest contributor in the county. Medicaid was the largest contributor, totaling $1.33 billion, equating to $5,174 per capita and making up 38.2% of total transfers.

Comparatively, Income Maintenance transfers across Washington amounted to $8.16 billion, ranking lowest among all transfer types within the state. This translates to an average of $1,048 per capita, or 9.8% of total government transfers. Including all transfer types, government transfer payments totaled $83.28 billion, accounting for 14.2% of residents’ total income, with an average of $10,697 per resident.

Social Security was the second largest contributor in Yakima County in 2022, accounting for $801.81 million, averaging $3,120 per capita, representing 23.1% of transfers. Medicare transfers provided another $505.54 million, averaging $1,967 per capita and comprising 14.5% of government support, making them the smallest 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 14.5% of the population aged 65 and older, Yakima County has a demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Despite this aid, the total per capita income in Yakima County, excluding government transfers was $35,739, which is far below the county's total income of $49,266, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.

When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Yakima County saw a decrease in its Income Maintenance transfer dependency by 0.5%.

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 Yakima County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 14.1% (or $2,918 per capita) in 1970 to 27.5% (or $13,527 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	Rank	Dependency on Transfers (%)	% Population 65+	Social Security Transfers (%)	Medicare Transfers (%)	Medicaid Transfers (%)	Income Maintenance Transfers (%)	Per Capita Transfers ($)
King County	1	7.5%	14.1%	2.5%	1.6%	1.5%	0.7%	$8,503
Pierce County	2	18.2%	14.8%	5.7%	3.5%	4%	1.9%	$10,933
Snohomish County	3	12.7%	14.8%	4.7%	2.7%	2.4%	1.2%	$8,774
Spokane County	4	22.4%	17.3%	7.1%	4.6%	5%	2.4%	$12,148
Clark County	5	15.8%	16.7%	5.7%	3.3%	3.1%	1.6%	$10,329
Thurston County	6	19.7%	18.8%	7.3%	3.8%	3.1%	1.6%	$11,743
Yakima County	7	27.5%	14.5%	6.3%	4%	10.5%	4.3%	$13,527
Kitsap County	8	17%	19.7%	5.8%	3.6%	3%	1.3%	$11,578
Whatcom County	9	19.1%	18.9%	7%	4.4%	3.7%	1.7%	$11,269
Benton County	10	19.4%	15.9%	6.8%	4.2%	3.9%	2.1%	$10,584
Skagit County	11	21.4%	22.6%	8%	4.9%	4.3%	1.9%	$13,483
Cowlitz County	12	26.6%	19.8%	9%	5.7%	5.9%	3.1%	$14,522
Clallam County	13	30.9%	32.4%	12.6%	7.7%	5.2%	2.1%	$17,193
Lewis County	14	27.9%	21.5%	9.4%	6%	6.5%	3%	$14,726
Grays Harbor County	15	34.3%	23.6%	11.5%	7.3%	8.5%	3.6%	$16,056
Island County	16	21.2%	27.1%	9%	4.9%	2.5%	1.1%	$13,904
Grant County	17	24.2%	14.6%	6.4%	4.3%	7.6%	3.6%	$11,841
Chelan County	18	21.6%	21.1%	7.2%	4.7%	5.5%	2.1%	$13,545
Mason County	19	28.1%	24.3%	10.4%	6.5%	5.3%	2.5%	$14,410
Franklin County	20	20.6%	10.3%	4.8%	3.1%	6.9%	3.4%	$9,497
Walla Walla County	21	23.4%	20.1%	7.8%	4.7%	5.7%	2.3%	$12,947
Stevens County	22	32.6%	25.4%	11.2%	6.5%	7.5%	3.2%	$15,222
Okanogan County	23	32.5%	23.5%	9.6%	6.7%	9.5%	3.4%	$16,121
Jefferson County	24	28.3%	40.8%	13%	7.5%	3.7%	1.4%	$17,788
Kittitas County	25	20.4%	18.4%	7.7%	4.7%	3.5%	1.6%	$11,250
Douglas County	26	22.9%	18.6%	7.7%	5.1%	5.5%	2.3%	$11,260
Pacific County	27	39.6%	33.8%	15.3%	10.4%	7.3%	2.9%	$18,397
Whitman County	28	18.2%	11.7%	5.6%	3.8%	3.3%	1.6%	$8,499
Asotin County	29	30.4%	25.5%	10.6%	6.6%	7.5%	2.8%	$16,535
Klickitat County	30	29.2%	25.2%	10%	6.1%	7.1%	2.6%	$15,553
San Juan County	31	15.4%	35.9%	7.5%	4.4%	1.6%	0.6%	$13,778
Adams County	32	24.9%	12%	4.7%	3.8%	10.6%	4%	$11,943
Pend Oreille County	33	34.8%	27.4%	12%	6.4%	8.8%	3.5%	$17,006
Lincoln County	34	28.7%	26.1%	10.6%	8.5%	4.2%	2%	$14,921
Skamania County	35	18.1%	25%	7%	3.6%	3.6%	1.6%	$11,300
Ferry County	36	40.4%	30.3%	13.5%	8%	10.4%	3.8%	$17,849
Columbia County	37	30%	29.1%	9.8%	8%	7.1%	2.2%	$18,753
Wahkiakum County	38	30%	33.8%	13.6%	6.9%	4.5%	2.1%	$15,089
Garfield County	39	28.7%	26.7%	9.1%	9.8%	4.7%	1.9%	$16,683