John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
Among all government transfer programs, Income Maintenance was the smallest contributor in the county. Social Security was the largest contributor, totaling $40 million, equating to $6,057 per capita and making up 41.6% of total transfers.
Comparatively, Income Maintenance transfers across Virginia amounted to $9.35 billion, ranking lowest among all transfer types within the state. This translates to an average of $1,077 per capita, or 10% of total government transfers. Including all transfer types, government transfer payments totaled $93.88 billion, accounting for 15.7% of residents’ total income, with an average of $10,811 per resident.
Medicaid was the second largest contributor in Charles City in 2022, accounting for $20.92 million, averaging $3,167 per capita, representing 21.7% of transfers. Medicare transfers provided another $19.77 million, averaging $2,994 per capita and comprising 20.6% of government support, making them the third largest 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 27% of the population aged 65 and older, Charles City has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Despite this aid, the total per capita income in Charles City, excluding government transfers was $42,591, which is far below the county's total income of $57,151, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Charles City saw an increase in its Income Maintenance transfer dependency by 0.1%, reflecting both rising transfer amounts and stagnating or insufficient other sources of income.
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 Charles City, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 7.6% (or $1,133 per capita) in 1970 to 25.5% (or $14,560 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | Rank | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers (%) | Medicare Transfers (%) | Medicaid Transfers (%) | Income Maintenance Transfers (%) | Per Capita Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County County | 1 | 7.6% | 15.1% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.6% | $7,726 |
| Fairfax city County | 1 | 7.6% | 15.1% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.6% | $7,726 |
| Virginia Beach (Independent City) County | 3 | 16.3% | 15.9% | 5.2% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% | $10,750 |
| Prince William County | 4 | 12% | 11.3% | 3.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.4% | $7,645 |
| Chesterfield County County | 5 | 15.9% | 16.1% | 6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.5% | $10,184 |
| Henrico County County | 6 | 13.5% | 17% | 5% | 3.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | $10,380 |
| Richmond (Independent City) County | 7 | 17.5% | 14.1% | 4% | 3.1% | 6.7% | 2.3% | $12,417 |
| Norfolk (Independent City) County | 8 | 25.4% | 13% | 5.5% | 4.2% | 8.1% | 3.5% | $12,186 |
| Chesapeake (Independent City) County | 9 | 18.3% | 14.5% | 5.5% | 3.6% | 3.2% | 1.8% | $10,688 |
| Loudoun County County | 10 | 5.7% | 10.8% | 2.1% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.5% | $5,534 |
| Newport News (Independent City) County | 11 | 25.5% | 14.1% | 6.6% | 4.7% | 6.4% | 3.8% | $11,968 |
| Campbell + Lynchburg County | 12 | 32.6% | 21.5% | 9.1% | 6.4% | 9.6% | 3.2% | $14,798 |
| Hampton (Independent City) County | 13 | 27.6% | 16.6% | 7.5% | 5% | 6.5% | 3.4% | $13,406 |
| Spotsylvania + Fredericksburg County | 14 | 16.4% | 15.2% | 5.1% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 1.7% | $10,267 |
| Pittsylvania + Danville County | 15 | 37.7% | 24.7% | 11.5% | 7.9% | 11% | 4.3% | $16,975 |
| Augusta County County | 16 | 23.4% | 22.6% | 9.2% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 2.1% | $12,368 |
| Roanoke + Salem County | 17 | 21.3% | 22.1% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 3.3% | 1.4% | $12,598 |
| Albemarle + Charlottesville County | 18 | 10.5% | 20.5% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.9% | $9,527 |
| Roanoke (Independent City) County | 19 | 30.2% | 17.9% | 7.6% | 5.9% | 9.2% | 4% | $15,349 |
| Stafford County County | 20 | 13.9% | 11.4% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.2% | $9,052 |
| Arlington County County | 21 | 5.4% | 12.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.5% | $6,090 |
| Portsmouth (Independent City) County | 22 | 31.3% | 15.4% | 7.1% | 5.7% | 9.8% | 4.6% | $14,382 |
| Dinwiddie County County | 23 | 37.9% | 19.2% | 9.2% | 8.7% | 10.8% | 4.6% | $17,388 |
| Rockingham + Harrisonburg County | 24 | 18.5% | 20.2% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 3.4% | 1.9% | $9,496 |
| James City + Williamsburg County | 25 | 17.4% | 26.7% | 7.4% | 4.7% | 1.4% | 1% | $13,205 |
| Suffolk (Independent City) County | 26 | 21.1% | 15.3% | 5.7% | 4.1% | 5% | 2.2% | $12,831 |
| Frederick + Winchester County | 27 | 16.5% | 18.8% | 6.4% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 1.5% | $10,260 |
| Alexandria (Independent City) County | 28 | 7.4% | 13% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.8% | $7,739 |
| Henry + Martinsville County | 29 | 38.4% | 24.8% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 10.9% | 4.2% | $18,234 |
| Hanover County County | 30 | 14.2% | 19.2% | 6.3% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 0.9% | $10,262 |
| Washington + Bristol County | 31 | 32.1% | 24.7% | 11.8% | 7.7% | 6.4% | 3.3% | $14,979 |
| Bedford County County | 32 | 23.6% | 23.2% | 9.7% | 5.5% | 3.9% | 1.7% | $12,940 |
| Bedford city County | 32 | 23.6% | 23.2% | 9.7% | 5.5% | 3.9% | 1.7% | $12,940 |
| Montgomery + Radford County | 34 | 18.3% | 14.1% | 6.4% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 1.8% | $8,323 |
| York + Poquoson County | 35 | 14.3% | 17.7% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 1.4% | 1% | $9,728 |
| Franklin County County | 36 | 26.4% | 24.8% | 10.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% | 2.3% | $13,880 |
| Franklin city County | 36 | 26.4% | 24.8% | 10.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% | 2.3% | $13,880 |
| Prince George + Hopewell County | 38 | 28.5% | 13.2% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 6.5% | 3.8% | $11,315 |
| Wise + Norton County | 39 | 45.1% | 20% | 14.4% | 9.7% | 11.3% | 5.2% | $18,549 |
| Fauquier County County | 40 | 11.5% | 17.4% | 4.7% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 0.8% | $9,494 |
| Tazewell County County | 41 | 39.3% | 23.6% | 13.4% | 9% | 8.1% | 4.3% | $17,291 |
| Carroll + Galax County | 42 | 40.1% | 26.4% | 11.9% | 9.1% | 12.5% | 3.7% | $17,957 |
| Culpeper County County | 43 | 19.4% | 16.8% | 6.9% | 4.5% | 4.1% | 1.8% | $10,828 |
| Shenandoah County County | 44 | 22.3% | 22.2% | 8.5% | 5.5% | 4.3% | 2% | $12,657 |
| Halifax County County | 45 | 37.7% | 25.8% | 12.2% | 8.1% | 10.4% | 4.1% | $16,787 |
| Accomack County County | 46 | 29.1% | 26% | 10% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 3.2% | $15,776 |
| Mecklenburg County County | 47 | 37.4% | 27.1% | 13% | 9.2% | 8.6% | 3.7% | $17,040 |
| Orange County County | 48 | 22.9% | 20.5% | 8.5% | 6.2% | 3.4% | 1.8% | $13,473 |
| Gloucester County County | 49 | 22.2% | 21.1% | 8.1% | 5.1% | 3.8% | 1.8% | $12,743 |
| Isle of Wight County | 50 | 19.5% | 20% | 7.2% | 4.3% | 3.3% | 1.5% | $12,467 |
| Pulaski County County | 51 | 30.4% | 23.4% | 11.1% | 6.8% | 7.1% | 3% | $14,611 |
| Smyth County County | 52 | 37% | 22.9% | 12.2% | 8.5% | 9.3% | 4.3% | $16,428 |
| Louisa County County | 53 | 23.6% | 21% | 9.2% | 5.5% | 4.6% | 2.1% | $11,963 |
| Rockbridge County County | 54 | 26.7% | 27.5% | 10.4% | 6.3% | 5% | 2.3% | $12,931 |
| Warren County County | 55 | 19.9% | 17.3% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 1.9% | $11,183 |
| Amherst County County | 56 | 32.4% | 22.2% | 11.4% | 7.8% | 7.6% | 3% | $14,496 |
| Russell County County | 57 | 43% | 23.7% | 14.7% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 4.8% | $17,290 |
| Botetourt County County | 58 | 21.5% | 24.1% | 8.8% | 5.1% | 3.3% | 1.4% | $12,819 |
| Wythe County County | 59 | 34.2% | 22.3% | 11.8% | 8.5% | 7.4% | 3.4% | $15,223 |
| Southampton + Franklin County | 60 | 31.3% | 22.1% | 9.4% | 6.7% | 9.2% | 3.6% | $15,739 |
| Lee County County | 61 | 47% | 23.2% | 13.7% | 8.9% | 14.5% | 6.3% | $18,105 |
| Buchanan County County | 62 | 44.7% | 24.3% | 15.9% | 9.3% | 11.1% | 5.4% | $20,234 |
| Caroline County County | 63 | 22.6% | 17.1% | 7.5% | 5.5% | 4.6% | 2.5% | $11,660 |
| Alleghany + Covington County | 64 | 38% | 26.2% | 12.4% | 9.3% | 8.6% | 3.5% | $17,584 |
| Scott County County | 65 | 41.8% | 25.4% | 14.3% | 10.3% | 9.9% | 4.3% | $16,552 |
| Page County County | 66 | 28.2% | 22.4% | 10.4% | 7% | 5.8% | 2.6% | $13,840 |
| Powhatan County County | 67 | 14.5% | 20% | 6.9% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 0.9% | $9,860 |
| Prince Edward County | 68 | 35.2% | 16.9% | 10.3% | 8.6% | 8.9% | 3.8% | $13,925 |
| Fluvanna County County | 69 | 20.3% | 21.5% | 9% | 4.9% | 2.8% | 1.5% | $10,816 |
| Goochland County County | 70 | 9.8% | 24.5% | 5% | 2.3% | 1% | 0.5% | $11,441 |
| Patrick County County | 71 | 39.5% | 27.3% | 13.8% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 3.9% | $15,903 |
| New Kent County | 72 | 10.9% | 18.4% | 4.5% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.7% | $11,160 |
| Westmoreland County County | 73 | 29.3% | 27.5% | 10.6% | 7.7% | 5.4% | 3% | $14,822 |
| Dickenson County County | 74 | 48.7% | 24.6% | 16.4% | 11.8% | 12.1% | 5% | $19,994 |
| Brunswick County County | 75 | 41.1% | 22.3% | 11.6% | 8.7% | 12.7% | 4.6% | $16,903 |
| King George County | 76 | 14.8% | 14.4% | 4.6% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 1.4% | $9,471 |
| Nottoway County County | 77 | 37.3% | 18.5% | 9.3% | 7.5% | 13.4% | 3.8% | $16,770 |
| Greensville + Emporia County | 78 | 39% | 16.5% | 10.5% | 7.8% | 13.1% | 5.1% | $15,317 |
| Nelson County County | 79 | 26.9% | 29.5% | 10.6% | 7.2% | 5% | 2% | $17,399 |
| Giles County County | 80 | 31.3% | 22.3% | 10.8% | 7.8% | 7.2% | 2.8% | $15,487 |
| Appomattox County County | 81 | 30.8% | 21% | 10.2% | 7% | 7.6% | 3.3% | $14,139 |
| Northampton County County | 82 | 30.9% | 29.9% | 9.6% | 6.5% | 9.5% | 3.1% | $19,870 |
| Buckingham County County | 83 | 36.5% | 20.5% | 10.6% | 10.4% | 9.1% | 3.9% | $13,823 |
| Northumberland County County | 84 | 30.7% | 37.2% | 12.8% | 9.5% | 4.2% | 2% | $18,848 |
| Grayson County County | 85 | 38.1% | 25.9% | 14.2% | 7.7% | 9.5% | 3.7% | $14,843 |
| Greene County County | 86 | 20.6% | 19% | 7.7% | 4.6% | 3.9% | 2% | $10,623 |
| Floyd County County | 87 | 28.7% | 24.7% | 10.7% | 6.5% | 6.3% | 2.4% | $14,012 |
| King William County | 88 | 20.5% | 17% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 3.7% | 1.8% | $11,196 |
| Lancaster County County | 89 | 25.6% | 38.6% | 11.7% | 6.2% | 3.9% | 1.9% | $18,546 |
| Middlesex County County | 90 | 29.7% | 33.1% | 11.9% | 7.7% | 5.3% | 2.2% | $17,882 |
| Charlotte County County | 91 | 37.5% | 22.7% | 11.7% | 9.9% | 8.6% | 4% | $16,976 |
| Amelia County County | 92 | 25.8% | 21.2% | 9.3% | 6.1% | 5.7% | 2.3% | $13,668 |
| Clarke County County | 93 | 14.8% | 23% | 6.4% | 3.9% | 2% | 0.8% | $11,532 |
| Essex County County | 94 | 32% | 24.3% | 11% | 8.3% | 7% | 3.3% | $16,528 |
| Lunenburg County County | 95 | 35.7% | 23.6% | 11.8% | 6.9% | 9.4% | 4.3% | $13,916 |
| Madison County County | 96 | 20.4% | 23.2% | 8% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 1.8% | $11,540 |
| Sussex County County | 97 | 38.2% | 19.5% | 11.4% | 8.8% | 10.8% | 4.4% | $14,413 |
| Mathews County County | 98 | 25.3% | 32.6% | 10.2% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 1.5% | $17,198 |
| Cumberland County County | 99 | 28.9% | 23.6% | 9.8% | 4.5% | 9% | 3.6% | $13,408 |
| Richmond County County | 100 | 30% | 21.7% | 10.5% | 7% | 7.1% | 3.2% | $12,814 |
| Richmond city County | 100 | 30% | 21.7% | 10.5% | 7% | 7.1% | 3.2% | $12,814 |
| King and Queen County | 102 | 26.1% | 24.2% | 10% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 2.6% | $14,439 |
| Surry County County | 103 | 28.3% | 25.7% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 2.7% | $14,837 |
| Charles City County | 104 | 25.5% | 27% | 10.6% | 5.2% | 5.5% | 2.2% | $14,560 |
| Bland County County | 105 | 35.5% | 25.5% | 13.7% | 8.7% | 6.8% | 2.4% | $15,123 |
| Rappahannock County County | 106 | 14.8% | 28.9% | 7.3% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 1% | $11,764 |
| Bath County County | 107 | 22.9% | 29.7% | 8.4% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 1.6% | $17,143 |
| Craig County County | 108 | 28.8% | 25% | 11.5% | 6.1% | 5.4% | 2.6% | $13,628 |
| Highland County County | 109 | 29% | 38.2% | 13.7% | 6.8% | 4.1% | 1.7% | $14,651 |
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