In 2022, Oconee County ranked 22nd highest per capita recipient of government transfers in South Carolina, with residents receiving $13,905 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 Oconee County received $1.1 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 25.6% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in South Carolina, government transfer payments totaled $63.5 billion, making up 22.4% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $12,028 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 Oconee County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $466.6 million, amounting to $5,820 per capita, or 41.9% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $314.9 million ($3,927 per capita), representing 28.2% of the total. Medicaid contributed $116.1 million ($1,448 per capita), making up 10.4% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $93.6 million ($1,168 per capita), or 8.4% of the total.
With 24.8% of the population aged 65 and older, Oconee County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Oconee County was $40,509, far below the county’s total income of $54,415, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Oconee County saw a decrease of 13.1% in per capita government transfers, from $16,179 to $13,905 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 Oconee County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 8.35% (or $1,553 per capita) in 1970 to 25.6% (or $13,905 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCormick County | 1 | $19,290 | 41.85% | 39.12% | $82,019,000 | $54,266,000 | $19,099,000 | $12,445,000 |
| Allendale County | 2 | $17,191 | 42.31% | 22.8% | $35,678,000 | $33,982,000 | $29,658,000 | $21,004,000 |
| Clarendon County | 3 | $16,889 | 37.28% | 25% | $168,211,000 | $142,326,000 | $84,981,000 | $64,988,000 |
| Georgetown County | 4 | $16,295 | 28.5% | 30.83% | $453,332,000 | $295,187,000 | $106,884,000 | $90,738,000 |
| Marion County | 5 | $16,221 | 39.46% | 21.65% | $138,703,000 | $113,045,000 | $89,404,000 | $74,808,000 |
| Fairfield County | 6 | $16,217 | 32.39% | 24.24% | $110,910,000 | $79,708,000 | $60,219,000 | $41,824,000 |
| Bamberg County | 7 | $15,906 | 39.77% | 24.25% | $62,657,000 | $47,797,000 | $41,211,000 | $29,882,000 |
| Colleton County | 8 | $15,655 | 37.25% | 20.56% | $184,674,000 | $177,925,000 | $94,548,000 | $78,273,000 |
| Lee County | 9 | $15,593 | 38% | 20.72% | $76,330,000 | $57,571,000 | $55,111,000 | $38,081,000 |
| Dillon County | 10 | $15,532 | 39.71% | 17.8% | $117,589,000 | $108,955,000 | $86,924,000 | $77,545,000 |
| Laurens County | 11 | $15,193 | 35.56% | 18.98% | $323,612,000 | $309,629,000 | $191,096,000 | $114,910,000 |
| Orangeburg County | 12 | $15,043 | 36.61% | 21% | $383,690,000 | $314,937,000 | $220,848,000 | $181,180,000 |
| Union County | 13 | $14,885 | 39% | 21.64% | $142,961,000 | $108,837,000 | $61,135,000 | $49,753,000 |
| Williamsburg County | 14 | $14,765 | 38.41% | 22.74% | $143,739,000 | $85,588,000 | $90,974,000 | $73,168,000 |
| Hampton County | 15 | $14,735 | 36.49% | 19.82% | $83,329,000 | $64,433,000 | $48,430,000 | $39,664,000 |
| Barnwell County | 16 | $14,685 | 37.47% | 19.52% | $87,228,000 | $76,238,000 | $59,646,000 | $48,631,000 |
| Horry County | 17 | $14,637 | 31.15% | 26.28% | $2,387,577,000 | $1,644,359,000 | $392,972,000 | $418,398,000 |
| Darlington County | 18 | $14,583 | 30.57% | 19.74% | $306,459,000 | $221,309,000 | $154,828,000 | $131,994,000 |
| Marlboro County | 19 | $14,387 | 38% | 19.41% | $114,034,000 | $97,743,000 | $67,089,000 | $59,969,000 |
| Chester County | 20 | $13,987 | 33.78% | 19.59% | $153,736,000 | $117,190,000 | $67,156,000 | $63,069,000 |
| Sumter County | 21 | $13,982 | 30% | 17.74% | $416,531,000 | $314,920,000 | $214,065,000 | $208,228,000 |
| Oconee County | 22 | $13,905 | 25.55% | 24.78% | $466,647,000 | $314,892,000 | $116,102,000 | $93,627,000 |
| Kershaw County | 23 | $13,853 | 26.25% | 19% | $309,432,000 | $229,503,000 | $103,518,000 | $95,981,000 |
| Florence County | 24 | $13,791 | 26.5% | 17.93% | $572,363,000 | $472,130,000 | $361,116,000 | $259,655,000 |
| Beaufort County | 25 | $13,685 | 18.97% | 28.48% | $1,230,449,000 | $781,033,000 | $151,823,000 | $165,665,000 |
| Newberry County | 26 | $13,661 | 28.78% | 20.69% | $189,105,000 | $141,433,000 | $72,867,000 | $59,552,000 |
| Abbeville County | 27 | $13,588 | 34.11% | 22.99% | $124,104,000 | $81,300,000 | $45,345,000 | $36,958,000 |
| Edgefield County | 28 | $13,486 | 27.45% | 20.25% | $120,747,000 | $116,162,000 | $36,101,000 | $37,942,000 |
| Greenwood County | 29 | $13,421 | 30.66% | 19.46% | $327,289,000 | $237,787,000 | $125,777,000 | $114,300,000 |
| Calhoun County | 30 | $13,341 | 26.87% | 24.66% | $74,381,000 | $40,276,000 | $31,148,000 | $22,273,000 |
| Chesterfield County | 31 | $13,083 | 33.54% | 19.46% | $193,598,000 | $138,550,000 | $96,747,000 | $81,402,000 |
| Aiken County | 32 | $12,534 | 24.29% | 20.86% | $858,113,000 | $532,184,000 | $265,726,000 | $241,017,000 |
| Cherokee County | 33 | $12,442 | 32.12% | 17.5% | $251,590,000 | $180,048,000 | $97,255,000 | $95,735,000 |
| Lancaster County | 34 | $12,236 | 22.22% | 21.64% | $527,132,000 | $374,808,000 | $115,331,000 | $116,034,000 |
| Jasper County | 35 | $12,162 | 29.56% | 23.37% | $173,432,000 | $78,666,000 | $41,950,000 | $48,517,000 |
| Anderson County | 36 | $12,034 | 25.23% | 18.35% | $946,057,000 | $681,878,000 | $301,108,000 | $280,165,000 |
| Dorchester County | 37 | $11,830 | 24.76% | 15.17% | $585,938,000 | $639,028,000 | $203,843,000 | $191,673,000 |
| Saluda County | 38 | $11,397 | 25.97% | 20.84% | $88,919,000 | $37,044,000 | $38,469,000 | $28,847,000 |
| Pickens County | 39 | $11,183 | 24.4% | 17.31% | $553,346,000 | $434,699,000 | $165,306,000 | $137,663,000 |
| Richland County | 40 | $11,015 | 20.41% | 14% | $1,427,231,000 | $917,759,000 | $653,385,000 | $575,931,000 |
| Lexington County | 41 | $10,916 | 19.13% | 17% | $1,237,286,000 | $848,472,000 | $357,736,000 | $347,493,000 |
| Spartanburg County | 42 | $10,810 | 20.54% | 16.24% | $1,373,940,000 | $951,921,000 | $473,787,000 | $467,347,000 |
| Greenville County | 43 | $10,268 | 18.12% | 16.71% | $2,177,171,000 | $1,444,673,000 | $676,466,000 | $589,089,000 |
| Charleston County | 44 | $10,152 | 13.26% | 17.94% | $1,594,503,000 | $1,098,057,000 | $540,279,000 | $399,071,000 |
| York County | 45 | $9,432 | 15.99% | 15.39% | $1,095,510,000 | $705,444,000 | $287,384,000 | $285,155,000 |
| Berkeley County | 46 | $9,080 | 17.91% | 14.97% | $813,339,000 | $447,869,000 | $219,606,000 | $268,081,000 |
