In 2022, Lincoln County ranked 19th highest per capita recipient of government transfers in Kansas, with residents receiving $14,140 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 Lincoln County received $41 million in government transfers, which accounted for 29.9% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Kansas, government transfer payments totaled $29.7 billion, making up 16.7% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $10,119 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 Lincoln County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $15.8 million, amounting to $5,459 per capita, or 38.6% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $14.6 million ($5,031 per capita), representing 35.6% of the total. Medicaid contributed $3.4 million ($1,186 per capita), making up 8.4% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $2.8 million ($973 per capita), or 6.9% of the total.
With 26.8% of the population aged 65 and older, Lincoln County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Lincoln County was $33,083, far below the county’s total income of $47,223, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Lincoln County saw a decrease of 14.5% in per capita government transfers, from $16,485 to $14,140 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 Lincoln County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 12.68% (or $2,610 per capita) in 1970 to 29.9% (or $14,140 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk County | 1 | $16,216 | 40.73% | 27.21% | $14,767,000 | $11,402,000 | $6,323,000 | $2,995,000 |
| Smith County | 2 | $15,906 | 29.34% | 29.73% | $20,699,000 | $21,809,000 | $5,506,000 | $3,051,000 |
| Decatur County | 3 | $15,846 | 26% | 29.34% | $15,148,000 | $17,250,000 | $3,815,000 | $2,531,000 |
| Barber County | 4 | $15,640 | 30.96% | 25.29% | $23,466,000 | $24,578,000 | $8,109,000 | $3,534,000 |
| Graham County | 5 | $15,439 | 30% | 27.37% | $13,647,000 | $12,645,000 | $6,543,000 | $1,972,000 |
| Phillips County | 6 | $15,112 | 24.98% | 25.28% | $26,962,000 | $25,361,000 | $9,007,000 | $3,836,000 |
| Lane County | 7 | $15,053 | 21.18% | 24.48% | $8,737,000 | $9,941,000 | $1,707,000 | $1,293,000 |
| Wilson County | 8 | $14,989 | 31.61% | 22.91% | $42,972,000 | $40,987,000 | $25,921,000 | $10,716,000 |
| Rush County | 9 | $14,888 | 28.66% | 25.13% | $15,850,000 | $14,697,000 | $6,260,000 | $2,881,000 |
| Labette County | 10 | $14,887 | 31.13% | 20.3% | $87,259,000 | $57,398,000 | $97,863,000 | $27,549,000 |
| Chautauqua County | 11 | $14,835 | 35.44% | 25.13% | $17,830,000 | $14,204,000 | $10,140,000 | $4,808,000 |
| Greenwood County | 12 | $14,800 | 34.51% | 26% | $32,954,000 | $23,257,000 | $16,643,000 | $6,967,000 |
| Ness County | 13 | $14,712 | 24.12% | 24.92% | $14,509,000 | $14,687,000 | $4,671,000 | $1,858,000 |
| Rawlins County | 14 | $14,512 | 18.98% | 27.82% | $13,351,000 | $12,937,000 | $5,749,000 | $2,013,000 |
| Russell County | 15 | $14,450 | 27.35% | 25.53% | $34,541,000 | $29,970,000 | $15,682,000 | $7,263,000 |
| Republic County | 16 | $14,409 | 31.13% | 27% | $25,264,000 | $22,659,000 | $8,695,000 | $3,980,000 |
| Mitchell County | 17 | $14,405 | 22.7% | 22.55% | $28,708,000 | $23,261,000 | $17,752,000 | $5,074,000 |
| Osborne County | 18 | $14,190 | 28.8% | 26% | $17,781,000 | $18,190,000 | $6,202,000 | $3,161,000 |
| Lincoln County | 19 | $14,140 | 29.94% | 26.76% | $15,825,000 | $14,585,000 | $3,438,000 | $2,820,000 |
| Cheyenne County | 20 | $14,133 | 25.92% | 26.55% | $13,684,000 | $13,884,000 | $4,043,000 | $2,013,000 |
| Comanche County | 21 | $14,100 | 32.49% | 25.98% | $8,750,000 | $7,652,000 | $4,741,000 | $1,368,000 |
| Jewell County | 22 | $14,075 | 30.14% | 31.47% | $15,616,000 | $15,875,000 | $3,163,000 | $2,510,000 |
| Harper County | 23 | $14,068 | 24.13% | 22.48% | $27,860,000 | $23,491,000 | $11,788,000 | $6,033,000 |
| Coffey County | 24 | $13,854 | 24.91% | 22.73% | $44,422,000 | $30,563,000 | $22,386,000 | $7,586,000 |
| Trego County | 25 | $13,829 | 25.75% | 26.62% | $14,804,000 | $13,437,000 | $5,285,000 | $1,814,000 |
| Allen County | 26 | $13,766 | 29.46% | 21% | $58,648,000 | $45,289,000 | $39,312,000 | $15,812,000 |
| Montgomery County | 27 | $13,699 | 31.2% | 20.65% | $143,003,000 | $102,412,000 | $94,775,000 | $44,012,000 |
| Kiowa County | 28 | $13,661 | 31.27% | 23.24% | $11,517,000 | $11,582,000 | $5,009,000 | $2,008,000 |
| Edwards County | 29 | $13,635 | 23.29% | 22.39% | $13,425,000 | $12,738,000 | $5,349,000 | $2,582,000 |
| Rooks County | 30 | $13,618 | 31.58% | 23.58% | $24,081,000 | $23,771,000 | $7,713,000 | $3,949,000 |
| Cloud County | 31 | $13,551 | 30.43% | 20.89% | $41,212,000 | $34,472,000 | $22,345,000 | $9,436,000 |
| Pawnee County | 32 | $13,512 | 30.74% | 23.84% | $28,179,000 | $31,366,000 | $11,152,000 | $5,672,000 |
| Sherman County | 33 | $13,511 | 26.17% | 21.2% | $24,784,000 | $25,403,000 | $16,932,000 | $5,916,000 |
| Logan County | 34 | $13,331 | 22.27% | 20.87% | $12,330,000 | $14,138,000 | $4,016,000 | $2,311,000 |
| Brown County | 35 | $13,266 | 28.1% | 22.1% | $44,411,000 | $32,148,000 | $25,368,000 | $11,020,000 |
| Stafford County | 36 | $13,257 | 27.81% | 21.78% | $18,569,000 | $17,506,000 | $8,553,000 | $3,760,000 |
| Sheridan County | 37 | $13,186 | 23.28% | 23.62% | $10,916,000 | $13,767,000 | $2,293,000 | $1,761,000 |
| Anderson County | 38 | $13,124 | 27.81% | 20.7% | $34,062,000 | $34,229,000 | $17,323,000 | $7,869,000 |
| Washington County | 39 | $13,079 | 27.8% | 23.45% | $25,534,000 | $22,810,000 | $11,598,000 | $3,840,000 |
| Morris County | 40 | $12,984 | 26.16% | 26.15% | $26,359,000 | $19,057,000 | $8,341,000 | $4,643,000 |
| Barton County | 41 | $12,983 | 23.49% | 20.82% | $109,852,000 | $96,966,000 | $61,969,000 | $28,691,000 |
| Neosho County | 42 | $12,938 | 28.44% | 20.41% | $68,124,000 | $52,138,000 | $44,970,000 | $19,247,000 |
| Cherokee County | 43 | $12,926 | 24.64% | 20% | $86,570,000 | $59,833,000 | $56,246,000 | $25,877,000 |
| Woodson County | 44 | $12,884 | 32.83% | 25.89% | $14,484,000 | $10,811,000 | $8,097,000 | $3,045,000 |
| Kingman County | 45 | $12,826 | 25.76% | 19.89% | $37,421,000 | $29,752,000 | $11,692,000 | $5,918,000 |
| Clay County | 46 | $12,753 | 26.84% | 23.75% | $37,335,000 | $29,547,000 | $12,826,000 | $6,568,000 |
| Dickinson County | 47 | $12,741 | 26.88% | 20.89% | $81,684,000 | $64,542,000 | $26,040,000 | $17,022,000 |
| Marion County | 48 | $12,689 | 28.2% | 23.47% | $57,197,000 | $44,581,000 | $24,843,000 | $9,213,000 |
| Bourbon County | 49 | $12,523 | 25.17% | 19.79% | $62,365,000 | $42,854,000 | $38,439,000 | $21,010,000 |
| Hodgeman County | 50 | $12,505 | 20.11% | 21.39% | $7,703,000 | $9,425,000 | $1,662,000 | $1,169,000 |
| Marshall County | 51 | $12,461 | 27.38% | 22.7% | $41,605,000 | $36,556,000 | $15,307,000 | $7,809,000 |
| Shawnee County | 52 | $12,409 | 22.37% | 19.46% | $769,727,000 | $526,287,000 | $411,042,000 | $212,026,000 |
| Cowley County | 53 | $12,400 | 28.4% | 18.63% | $146,940,000 | $96,872,000 | $95,515,000 | $44,692,000 |
| Osage County | 54 | $12,249 | 25.21% | 20.87% | $71,643,000 | $50,879,000 | $27,950,000 | $15,304,000 |
| Ellsworth County | 55 | $12,102 | 26.48% | 23.34% | $27,983,000 | $25,714,000 | $11,512,000 | $4,283,000 |
| Wichita County | 56 | $12,079 | 22% | 21.17% | $8,577,000 | $9,404,000 | $3,689,000 | $1,811,000 |
| Gove County | 57 | $11,959 | 16.38% | 23.6% | $11,789,000 | $11,889,000 | $3,797,000 | $1,990,000 |
| Harvey County | 58 | $11,925 | 23.49% | 20.66% | $154,879,000 | $109,745,000 | $70,302,000 | $30,775,000 |
| Franklin County | 59 | $11,920 | 24.64% | 18% | $110,479,000 | $89,183,000 | $49,998,000 | $24,641,000 |
| Reno County | 60 | $11,868 | 24.87% | 20.53% | $283,263,000 | $185,799,000 | $130,208,000 | $64,690,000 |
| Linn County | 61 | $11,857 | 25.92% | 22.42% | $48,534,000 | $29,252,000 | $15,849,000 | $10,390,000 |
| Wallace County | 62 | $11,847 | 22.33% | 24% | $6,620,000 | $5,891,000 | $1,996,000 | $1,313,000 |
| Greeley County | 63 | $11,689 | 13.26% | 19.81% | $5,514,000 | $4,931,000 | $2,151,000 | $979,000 |
| Rice County | 64 | $11,650 | 24% | 19.8% | $40,904,000 | $32,718,000 | $17,191,000 | $8,964,000 |
| Morton County | 65 | $11,523 | 28.19% | 21.3% | $11,653,000 | $8,665,000 | $5,733,000 | $2,713,000 |
| McPherson County | 66 | $11,516 | 20% | 20.35% | $138,684,000 | $95,611,000 | $61,480,000 | $19,253,000 |
| Ottawa County | 67 | $11,472 | 23.44% | 21.15% | $27,515,000 | $18,768,000 | $8,475,000 | $4,745,000 |
| Doniphan County | 68 | $11,365 | 24.12% | 20% | $31,380,000 | $24,980,000 | $12,903,000 | $6,382,000 |
| Saline County | 69 | $11,345 | 19.9% | 19.46% | $232,292,000 | $157,629,000 | $97,524,000 | $56,983,000 |
| Sumner County | 70 | $11,291 | 24.83% | 20% | $103,342,000 | $59,548,000 | $38,966,000 | $23,167,000 |
| Jefferson County | 71 | $11,274 | 21% | 20.44% | $85,561,000 | $59,051,000 | $20,954,000 | $12,375,000 |
| Pratt County | 72 | $11,268 | 21.16% | 21.37% | $41,273,000 | $26,861,000 | $16,272,000 | $7,159,000 |
| Jackson County | 73 | $11,114 | 22.61% | 19.96% | $58,316,000 | $42,661,000 | $17,357,000 | $11,152,000 |
| Clark County | 74 | $11,080 | 19% | 21.3% | $8,750,000 | $6,021,000 | $3,612,000 | $1,754,000 |
| Crawford County | 75 | $11,071 | 24.42% | 15.73% | $137,084,000 | $96,431,000 | $108,037,000 | $48,676,000 |
| Nemaha County | 76 | $11,015 | 18.65% | 20% | $40,977,000 | $35,440,000 | $18,496,000 | $6,770,000 |
| Atchison County | 77 | $11,013 | 25.67% | 18.18% | $61,035,000 | $46,104,000 | $33,626,000 | $16,600,000 |
| Chase County | 78 | $10,904 | 18.37% | 24.22% | $11,076,000 | $7,061,000 | $4,308,000 | $1,958,000 |
| Norton County | 79 | $10,880 | 20.99% | 20.69% | $21,707,000 | $18,252,000 | $8,426,000 | $4,250,000 |
| Lyon County | 80 | $10,845 | 23.18% | 16.48% | $120,803,000 | $89,167,000 | $63,467,000 | $31,147,000 |
| Wabaunsee County | 81 | $10,824 | 19.37% | 21.57% | $32,463,000 | $19,325,000 | $8,953,000 | $5,120,000 |
| Scott County | 82 | $10,762 | 17.54% | 19.55% | $20,452,000 | $17,720,000 | $8,755,000 | $3,556,000 |
| Thomas County | 83 | $10,493 | 19.19% | 18.77% | $30,308,000 | $27,833,000 | $10,177,000 | $4,986,000 |
| Meade County | 84 | $10,382 | 14.98% | 18.12% | $15,148,000 | $13,417,000 | $5,058,000 | $3,361,000 |
| Wyandotte County | 85 | $10,115 | 26.44% | 13.36% | $466,899,000 | $383,183,000 | $408,190,000 | $262,478,000 |
| Hamilton County | 86 | $10,066 | 12.66% | 14.85% | $7,814,000 | $9,445,000 | $4,022,000 | $2,185,000 |
| Ellis County | 87 | $10,038 | 17.92% | 16.52% | $110,159,000 | $81,619,000 | $42,769,000 | $18,549,000 |
| Miami County | 88 | $9,921 | 16.75% | 18.1% | $137,688,000 | $91,675,000 | $56,624,000 | $22,733,000 |
| Stanton County | 89 | $9,909 | 12.73% | 18.35% | $6,533,000 | $6,897,000 | $3,122,000 | $1,714,000 |
| Sedgwick County | 90 | $9,873 | 16.52% | 15.89% | $1,950,202,000 | $1,231,383,000 | $830,907,000 | $638,479,000 |
| Butler County | 91 | $9,704 | 18% | 16.2% | $276,334,000 | $166,553,000 | $85,852,000 | $54,828,000 |
| Leavenworth County | 92 | $9,496 | 18.99% | 16% | $285,355,000 | $176,800,000 | $71,637,000 | $56,243,000 |
| Haskell County | 93 | $9,252 | 15.6% | 17.66% | $11,862,000 | $11,475,000 | $4,402,000 | $3,034,000 |
| Kearny County | 94 | $9,220 | 16.65% | 16.46% | $12,625,000 | $9,850,000 | $6,882,000 | $3,433,000 |
| Geary County | 95 | $9,119 | 18.12% | 9.14% | $75,114,000 | $47,624,000 | $36,394,000 | $49,595,000 |
| Gray County | 96 | $9,080 | 13.78% | 16.16% | $20,513,000 | $16,111,000 | $7,785,000 | $3,823,000 |
| Grant County | 97 | $8,865 | 21.79% | 14.51% | $23,626,000 | $17,217,000 | $11,090,000 | $7,848,000 |
| Stevens County | 98 | $8,333 | 16.44% | 16.2% | $17,412,000 | $12,734,000 | $6,110,000 | $4,233,000 |
| Pottawatomie County | 99 | $8,091 | 13.11% | 15.33% | $86,311,000 | $57,621,000 | $21,755,000 | $17,581,000 |
| Johnson County | 100 | $8,040 | 8.88% | 15.96% | $2,296,333,000 | $1,405,618,000 | $480,365,000 | $254,196,000 |
| Douglas County | 101 | $7,934 | 15% | 13.91% | $396,067,000 | $232,211,000 | $128,299,000 | $73,391,000 |
| Seward County | 102 | $7,848 | 16.55% | 10.9% | $47,156,000 | $38,418,000 | $43,392,000 | $25,178,000 |
| Finney County | 103 | $7,818 | 15.75% | 11.89% | $93,399,000 | $64,730,000 | $69,771,000 | $42,836,000 |
| Ford County | 104 | $7,285 | 15.44% | 11.72% | $81,167,000 | $53,282,000 | $52,721,000 | $35,795,000 |
| Riley County | 105 | $6,776 | 13.48% | 10.35% | $167,049,000 | $104,360,000 | $51,643,000 | $39,794,000 |
