In 2022, Gilmer County ranked ninth lowest per capita recipient of government transfers in West Virginia, with residents receiving $12,721 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 Gilmer County received $93.2 million in government transfers, which accounted for 35.9% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in West Virginia, government transfer payments totaled $25.7 billion, making up 28.9% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $14,450 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 Gilmer County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $25.7 million, amounting to $3,508 per capita, or 27.6% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $20.2 million ($2,751 per capita), representing 21.6% of the total. Medicaid contributed $25.6 million ($3,496 per capita), making up 27.5% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $9.6 million ($1,310 per capita), or 10.3% of the total.
With 18.5% of the population aged 65 and older, Gilmer County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Gilmer County was $22,690, far below the county’s total income of $35,411, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Gilmer County saw a decrease of 17% in per capita government transfers, from $15,199 to $12,721 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 Gilmer County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 16.85% (or $2,160 per capita) in 1970 to 35.9% (or $12,721 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County | 1 | $21,511 | 42.38% | 27.86% | $46,019,000 | $36,725,000 | $59,146,000 | $11,874,000 |
| Logan County | 2 | $19,796 | 46.79% | 22.38% | $184,024,000 | $133,870,000 | $171,005,000 | $69,802,000 |
| Pendleton County | 3 | $19,061 | 35% | 29.21% | $40,367,000 | $31,004,000 | $22,719,000 | $8,871,000 |
| Summers County | 4 | $18,968 | 44% | 27.59% | $58,767,000 | $42,163,000 | $70,182,000 | $22,259,000 |
| Mingo County | 5 | $18,656 | 50.91% | 21.37% | $132,679,000 | $97,796,000 | $82,091,000 | $63,594,000 |
| McDowell County | 6 | $18,542 | 54% | 22.62% | $99,895,000 | $78,829,000 | $62,932,000 | $59,177,000 |
| Mercer County | 7 | $18,194 | 40.64% | 22.78% | $299,150,000 | $215,392,000 | $285,559,000 | $127,194,000 |
| Calhoun County | 8 | $17,834 | 43.78% | 26.63% | $36,051,000 | $27,245,000 | $21,235,000 | $13,421,000 |
| Wetzel County | 9 | $17,800 | 39.31% | 22.91% | $76,682,000 | $63,438,000 | $61,634,000 | $26,064,000 |
| Greenbrier County | 10 | $17,504 | 37% | 24.76% | $182,052,000 | $133,821,000 | $130,803,000 | $51,183,000 |
| Fayette County | 11 | $17,468 | 38.98% | 23.13% | $210,856,000 | $140,688,000 | $173,470,000 | $78,812,000 |
| Tucker County | 12 | $17,320 | 31.4% | 28.14% | $37,361,000 | $25,261,000 | $32,218,000 | $8,436,000 |
| Boone County | 13 | $17,114 | 41.46% | 22.38% | $124,633,000 | $92,680,000 | $58,206,000 | $43,317,000 |
| Pleasants County | 14 | $17,078 | 34.71% | 18.93% | $36,787,000 | $25,941,000 | $49,955,000 | $8,779,000 |
| Grant County | 15 | $17,048 | 36.8% | 25.19% | $61,474,000 | $52,615,000 | $42,180,000 | $16,257,000 |
| Raleigh County | 16 | $16,937 | 35% | 22% | $402,239,000 | $282,084,000 | $269,945,000 | $124,477,000 |
| Nicholas County | 17 | $16,739 | 41.23% | 23.86% | $142,471,000 | $95,119,000 | $74,784,000 | $44,784,000 |
| Kanawha County | 18 | $16,509 | 28.87% | 22% | $938,439,000 | $648,098,000 | $783,031,000 | $276,174,000 |
| Randolph County | 19 | $16,435 | 36% | 22.48% | $130,645,000 | $96,978,000 | $137,465,000 | $43,798,000 |
| Webster County | 20 | $16,400 | 50.31% | 25.53% | $44,309,000 | $35,930,000 | $19,025,000 | $20,401,000 |
| Ritchie County | 21 | $16,384 | 29.87% | 23.35% | $49,923,000 | $31,928,000 | $23,946,000 | $14,895,000 |
| Braxton County | 22 | $16,125 | 40.23% | 24.68% | $65,991,000 | $44,604,000 | $38,198,000 | $24,393,000 |
| Ohio County | 23 | $15,888 | 23.82% | 22.82% | $221,584,000 | $152,545,000 | $176,610,000 | $56,783,000 |
| Mason County | 24 | $15,717 | 37.32% | 22.66% | $132,541,000 | $97,018,000 | $81,313,000 | $45,951,000 |
| Clay County | 25 | $15,607 | 40.59% | 22.55% | $45,183,000 | $33,882,000 | $9,776,000 | $20,546,000 |
| Wyoming County | 26 | $15,579 | 44.28% | 23.38% | $120,067,000 | $77,930,000 | $37,856,000 | $43,802,000 |
| Hancock County | 27 | $15,528 | 30.55% | 24.42% | $165,611,000 | $132,279,000 | $67,916,000 | $40,799,000 |
| Roane County | 28 | $15,122 | 38.72% | 23.56% | $73,749,000 | $47,790,000 | $40,749,000 | $27,345,000 |
| Wood County | 29 | $14,891 | 25.53% | 21.48% | $422,870,000 | $327,071,000 | $231,109,000 | $140,377,000 |
| Mineral County | 30 | $14,820 | 30.36% | 22.67% | $130,333,000 | $113,545,000 | $64,802,000 | $37,139,000 |
| Cabell County | 31 | $14,625 | 28.61% | 19.82% | $399,744,000 | $296,616,000 | $335,465,000 | $159,660,000 |
| Tyler County | 32 | $14,494 | 25.68% | 24.38% | $47,403,000 | $33,442,000 | $15,071,000 | $12,357,000 |
| Wirt County | 33 | $14,278 | 36% | 23.1% | $29,853,000 | $21,564,000 | $2,527,000 | $10,711,000 |
| Morgan County | 34 | $14,178 | 31.43% | 25.1% | $93,932,000 | $54,423,000 | $46,303,000 | $23,700,000 |
| Barbour County | 35 | $14,169 | 35% | 20.95% | $70,294,000 | $54,807,000 | $41,490,000 | $26,836,000 |
| Harrison County | 36 | $14,167 | 23.99% | 20.52% | $306,148,000 | $218,754,000 | $186,989,000 | $97,735,000 |
| Marion County | 37 | $14,041 | 28.66% | 20.18% | $272,842,000 | $213,208,000 | $117,311,000 | $77,216,000 |
| Jackson County | 38 | $13,990 | 30.77% | 21.43% | $144,367,000 | $98,282,000 | $61,635,000 | $45,747,000 |
| Monroe County | 39 | $13,984 | 34.63% | 25.88% | $70,120,000 | $42,648,000 | $9,586,000 | $17,463,000 |
| Brooke County | 40 | $13,835 | 27.49% | 25.18% | $122,474,000 | $76,907,000 | $49,059,000 | $26,675,000 |
| Marshall County | 41 | $13,753 | 28.2% | 23.97% | $144,828,000 | $101,561,000 | $82,510,000 | $43,570,000 |
| Lewis County | 42 | $13,693 | 31.38% | 21% | $80,449,000 | $62,125,000 | $34,291,000 | $29,490,000 |
| Lincoln County | 43 | $13,518 | 36.77% | 21.17% | $96,764,000 | $75,524,000 | $16,654,000 | $46,760,000 |
| Upshur County | 44 | $13,263 | 32.17% | 21.79% | $112,207,000 | $80,459,000 | $45,555,000 | $37,009,000 |
| Wayne County | 45 | $12,895 | 30.76% | 22.58% | $181,254,000 | $149,624,000 | $14,450,000 | $72,537,000 |
| Taylor County | 46 | $12,820 | 26% | 21.41% | $70,793,000 | $49,294,000 | $37,808,000 | $23,578,000 |
| Gilmer County | 47 | $12,721 | 35.92% | 18.47% | $25,698,000 | $20,150,000 | $25,606,000 | $9,593,000 |
| Hampshire County | 48 | $12,570 | 27.15% | 24.22% | $114,902,000 | $83,786,000 | $26,890,000 | $36,246,000 |
| Preston County | 49 | $12,288 | 28.97% | 20.45% | $152,289,000 | $112,097,000 | $61,294,000 | $42,402,000 |
| Putnam County | 50 | $11,247 | 20.15% | 19.83% | $277,408,000 | $165,484,000 | $62,980,000 | $57,015,000 |
| Hardy County | 51 | $11,236 | 25.66% | 23.38% | $66,839,000 | $44,443,000 | $7,930,000 | $21,466,000 |
| Jefferson County | 52 | $10,972 | 17.3% | 17.55% | $236,615,000 | $154,520,000 | $45,519,000 | $60,908,000 |
| Monongalia County | 53 | $9,567 | 17.33% | 13.55% | $306,522,000 | $203,091,000 | $294,001,000 | $84,458,000 |
| Berkeley County | 54 | $9,422 | 18% | 15.22% | $466,219,000 | $294,173,000 | $84,142,000 | $161,857,000 |
| Doddridge County | 55 | $8,577 | 21.94% | 22% | $31,610,000 | $13,376,000 | $1,648,000 | $10,303,000 |
