In 2022, Okeechobee County ranked 31st highest per capita recipient of government transfers in Florida, with residents receiving $13,125 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 Okeechobee County received $530.4 million in government transfers, which accounted for 32.4% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Florida, government transfer payments totaled $272.9 billion, making up 18.9% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $12,269 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 Okeechobee County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $166.9 million, amounting to $4,130 per capita, or 31.5% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $163.9 million ($4,055 per capita), representing 30.9% of the total. Medicaid contributed $85.9 million ($2,126 per capita), making up 16.2% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $59.9 million ($1,482 per capita), or 11.3% of the total.
With 20.9% of the population aged 65 and older, Okeechobee County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Okeechobee County was $27,377, far below the county’s total income of $40,503, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Okeechobee County saw a decrease of 14.1% in per capita government transfers, from $15,418 to $13,125 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 Okeechobee County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 8.32% (or $1,549 per capita) in 1970 to 32.4% (or $13,125 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County | 1 | $22,504 | 32.51% | 57.4% | $1,755,907,000 | $1,067,683,000 | $87,390,000 | $77,952,000 |
| Citrus County | 2 | $17,731 | 39.12% | 36.29% | $1,232,680,000 | $895,878,000 | $250,681,000 | $160,347,000 |
| Charlotte County | 3 | $17,123 | 32.17% | 40.47% | $1,565,862,000 | $1,171,808,000 | $227,762,000 | $142,093,000 |
| Highlands County | 4 | $16,753 | 40% | 36.11% | $669,624,000 | $578,705,000 | $175,839,000 | $141,299,000 |
| Indian River County | 5 | $16,143 | 15.34% | 34.88% | $1,207,446,000 | $863,801,000 | $194,960,000 | $143,354,000 |
| Flagler County | 6 | $15,418 | 25.57% | 31.27% | $853,021,000 | $596,064,000 | $135,799,000 | $109,076,000 |
| Sarasota County | 7 | $15,361 | 18.28% | 37.4% | $3,277,654,000 | $2,371,190,000 | $496,182,000 | $282,022,000 |
| Hernando County | 8 | $15,288 | 32.81% | 26.35% | $1,207,311,000 | $1,013,001,000 | $302,885,000 | $232,887,000 |
| Putnam County | 9 | $15,200 | 38.54% | 23.89% | $381,489,000 | $323,849,000 | $180,285,000 | $131,059,000 |
| Madison County | 10 | $15,073 | 37% | 22.68% | $83,504,000 | $73,705,000 | $51,092,000 | $30,731,000 |
| Jackson County | 11 | $15,032 | 37.89% | 20.71% | $208,262,000 | $176,935,000 | $172,070,000 | $70,931,000 |
| Marion County | 12 | $14,969 | 33.62% | 28.77% | $2,363,273,000 | $1,789,866,000 | $595,321,000 | $490,752,000 |
| Hamilton County | 13 | $14,564 | 42.76% | 20.37% | $56,037,000 | $51,038,000 | $35,831,000 | $22,819,000 |
| Suwannee County | 14 | $14,560 | 34.95% | 21.91% | $215,377,000 | $179,072,000 | $106,754,000 | $67,275,000 |
| Holmes County | 15 | $14,408 | 37.31% | 20.12% | $87,993,000 | $73,677,000 | $49,943,000 | $31,166,000 |
| Levy County | 16 | $14,370 | 32.75% | 25.38% | $236,097,000 | $186,528,000 | $79,633,000 | $62,681,000 |
| Dixie County | 17 | $14,326 | 40.77% | 24.65% | $79,725,000 | $72,527,000 | $36,953,000 | $27,579,000 |
| Martin County | 18 | $14,305 | 12.96% | 32.19% | $1,040,770,000 | $781,901,000 | $165,803,000 | $103,454,000 |
| Gadsden County | 19 | $14,296 | 32.34% | 20% | $189,321,000 | $150,749,000 | $108,799,000 | $90,752,000 |
| Volusia County | 20 | $14,247 | 26.6% | 25.35% | $3,136,420,000 | $2,410,978,000 | $916,092,000 | $627,605,000 |
| Pinellas County | 21 | $14,197 | 20.68% | 26.4% | $5,050,696,000 | $4,250,389,000 | $1,799,384,000 | $876,391,000 |
| Gulf County | 22 | $14,156 | 29.16% | 23% | $78,093,000 | $69,383,000 | $25,061,000 | $15,464,000 |
| Columbia County | 23 | $14,126 | 32.71% | 20.36% | $315,748,000 | $264,444,000 | $154,208,000 | $109,140,000 |
| Lake County | 24 | $13,674 | 26.15% | 26.67% | $2,228,590,000 | $1,738,317,000 | $525,845,000 | $400,570,000 |
| Calhoun County | 25 | $13,559 | 37.36% | 19.21% | $53,166,000 | $48,737,000 | $39,466,000 | $18,923,000 |
| Taylor County | 26 | $13,539 | 36.57% | 21.93% | $100,260,000 | $69,307,000 | $47,475,000 | $35,950,000 |
| Brevard County | 27 | $13,529 | 23.81% | 24.49% | $3,343,125,000 | $2,403,269,000 | $825,621,000 | $583,724,000 |
| Jefferson County | 28 | $13,415 | 27.2% | 24.64% | $70,574,000 | $54,159,000 | $31,684,000 | $18,237,000 |
| Lee County | 29 | $13,391 | 21% | 29.14% | $4,441,109,000 | $3,119,559,000 | $949,403,000 | $772,678,000 |
| Collier County | 30 | $13,205 | 10% | 33.87% | $2,388,531,000 | $1,644,444,000 | $301,506,000 | $279,096,000 |
| Okeechobee County | 31 | $13,125 | 32.41% | 20.9% | $166,885,000 | $163,884,000 | $85,927,000 | $59,905,000 |
| St. Lucie County | 32 | $13,087 | 24.99% | 24.55% | $1,760,187,000 | $1,366,530,000 | $541,611,000 | $399,914,000 |
| Escambia County | 33 | $12,922 | 24.73% | 17.95% | $1,347,710,000 | $1,046,978,000 | $636,978,000 | $417,588,000 |
| Franklin County | 34 | $12,772 | 28% | 27.38% | $61,188,000 | $39,391,000 | $21,269,000 | $14,358,000 |
| Bradford County | 35 | $12,753 | 30.69% | 19% | $108,713,000 | $95,881,000 | $62,083,000 | $38,421,000 |
| Miami-Dade County | 36 | $12,697 | 18.54% | 17.14% | $6,733,319,000 | $9,997,989,000 | $6,477,185,000 | $4,589,755,000 |
| Washington County | 37 | $12,678 | 34.9% | 18.83% | $104,052,000 | $76,463,000 | $59,286,000 | $33,261,000 |
| Nassau County | 38 | $12,626 | 16.52% | 23.78% | $522,318,000 | $336,048,000 | $108,790,000 | $69,447,000 |
| Manatee County | 39 | $12,606 | 21.12% | 28.51% | $2,324,532,000 | $1,709,907,000 | $439,428,000 | $367,048,000 |
| Gilchrist County | 40 | $12,368 | 29.32% | 20.81% | $80,363,000 | $64,171,000 | $35,178,000 | $23,501,000 |
| Bay County | 41 | $12,361 | 22.78% | 18.25% | $743,411,000 | $576,704,000 | $323,262,000 | $201,245,000 |
| DeSoto County | 42 | $12,295 | 37.38% | 23.74% | $140,645,000 | $132,194,000 | $58,108,000 | $50,647,000 |
| Palm Beach County | 43 | $12,289 | 11.27% | 24.96% | $7,069,492,000 | $5,986,906,000 | $1,964,633,000 | $1,426,752,000 |
| Pasco County | 44 | $12,276 | 23.34% | 21.91% | $2,779,281,000 | $2,270,532,000 | $783,501,000 | $591,341,000 |
| Okaloosa County | 45 | $12,181 | 20.31% | 16.57% | $839,415,000 | $608,490,000 | $261,451,000 | $193,050,000 |
| Monroe County | 46 | $11,949 | 10% | 24.7% | $357,089,000 | $263,399,000 | $74,495,000 | $59,368,000 |
| Polk County | 47 | $11,778 | 27.25% | 19.49% | $3,193,364,000 | $2,617,273,000 | $1,115,138,000 | $1,170,655,000 |
| Clay County | 48 | $11,744 | 21.87% | 17.18% | $905,708,000 | $685,148,000 | $263,471,000 | $207,296,000 |
| Hardee County | 49 | $11,290 | 32.29% | 16.78% | $80,510,000 | $78,550,000 | $50,567,000 | $43,739,000 |
| Baker County | 50 | $11,240 | 25.11% | 14.99% | $97,058,000 | $86,736,000 | $50,719,000 | $38,215,000 |
| Santa Rosa County | 51 | $11,194 | 19.49% | 16.68% | $764,437,000 | $546,216,000 | $191,062,000 | $152,499,000 |
| Hendry County | 52 | $11,156 | 28.42% | 13.52% | $112,344,000 | $104,583,000 | $98,409,000 | $77,871,000 |
| Duval County | 53 | $10,827 | 19.28% | 15.32% | $3,275,225,000 | $2,814,220,000 | $1,709,936,000 | $1,335,804,000 |
| Lafayette County | 54 | $10,771 | 31.77% | 19.12% | $28,166,000 | $20,152,000 | $15,682,000 | $8,553,000 |
| Liberty County | 55 | $10,702 | 32.91% | 17.25% | $26,215,000 | $21,292,000 | $14,043,000 | $10,681,000 |
| Broward County | 56 | $10,589 | 16% | 18% | $6,203,983,000 | $5,975,842,000 | $2,736,061,000 | $2,262,721,000 |
| Walton County | 57 | $10,530 | 11.93% | 20.16% | $351,482,000 | $238,428,000 | $78,474,000 | $65,207,000 |
| St. Johns County | 58 | $10,450 | 11.82% | 21% | $1,399,701,000 | $942,497,000 | $200,604,000 | $149,902,000 |
| Hillsborough County | 59 | $10,415 | 17.5% | 15% | $4,745,436,000 | $4,227,787,000 | $2,218,028,000 | $1,899,684,000 |
| Wakulla County | 60 | $10,306 | 21.57% | 16.91% | $134,511,000 | $98,554,000 | $36,905,000 | $33,705,000 |
| Osceola County | 61 | $10,292 | 23.21% | 13.47% | $1,176,276,000 | $1,017,702,000 | $645,669,000 | $631,760,000 |
| Alachua County | 62 | $10,044 | 19.1% | 15.33% | $927,482,000 | $716,237,000 | $498,868,000 | $272,448,000 |
| Seminole County | 63 | $9,554 | 16% | 16.66% | $1,705,684,000 | $1,269,707,000 | $476,938,000 | $420,288,000 |
| Leon County | 64 | $9,483 | 17.48% | 14.78% | $985,200,000 | $635,225,000 | $389,096,000 | $308,622,000 |
| Orange County | 65 | $9,461 | 17% | 13.12% | $3,688,045,000 | $3,360,674,000 | $2,085,547,000 | $1,823,295,000 |
| Glades County | 66 | $9,232 | 29.39% | 26% | $51,965,000 | $25,682,000 | $7,381,000 | $11,932,000 |
| Union County | 67 | $9,074 | 34.19% | 16% | $43,106,000 | $37,617,000 | $21,818,000 | $18,980,000 |
