In 2022, Uintah County ranked ninth lowest per capita recipient of government transfers in Utah, with residents receiving $7,862 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 Uintah County received $292 million in government transfers, which accounted for 21.6% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Utah, government transfer payments totaled $25.5 billion, making up 12.7% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $7,551 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 Uintah County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $102.1 million, amounting to $2,748 per capita, or 35% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $62.3 million ($1,676 per capita), representing 21.3% of the total. Medicaid contributed $46.9 million ($1,264 per capita), making up 16.1% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $46.9 million ($1,262 per capita), or 16% of the total.
With 12.4% of the population aged 65 and older, Uintah County has a demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Uintah County was $28,601, far below the county’s total income of $36,463, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Uintah County saw a decrease of 20.5% in per capita government transfers, from $10,140 to $7,862 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 Uintah County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 7.33% (or $1,387 per capita) in 1970 to 21.6% (or $7,862 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piute County | 1 | $15,964 | 24.44% | 29.27% | $8,047,000 | $6,106,000 | $5,136,000 | $2,060,000 |
| Carbon County | 2 | $13,812 | 30.48% | 19% | $95,274,000 | $60,623,000 | $65,795,000 | $30,682,000 |
| Grand County | 3 | $12,259 | 17.52% | 20.4% | $40,614,000 | $28,379,000 | $23,088,000 | $10,737,000 |
| Wayne County | 4 | $11,823 | 23.34% | 23% | $12,770,000 | $7,472,000 | $2,871,000 | $3,132,000 |
| Daggett County | 5 | $11,542 | 24.67% | 26.21% | $5,529,000 | $3,417,000 | $390,000 | $755,000 |
| Emery County | 6 | $11,537 | 29.16% | 17.77% | $46,329,000 | $25,966,000 | $20,219,000 | $11,680,000 |
| Kane County | 7 | $11,398 | 22.28% | 23.59% | $40,824,000 | $23,805,000 | $9,182,000 | $7,282,000 |
| Sevier County | 8 | $11,350 | 26.23% | 17% | $86,397,000 | $56,032,000 | $49,583,000 | $28,148,000 |
| Garfield County | 9 | $11,323 | 20.3% | 23% | $22,861,000 | $15,293,000 | $7,859,000 | $5,481,000 |
| Beaver County | 10 | $11,102 | 23.29% | 15.1% | $23,456,000 | $20,775,000 | $14,441,000 | $8,499,000 |
| San Juan County | 11 | $10,857 | 30.5% | 15.24% | $38,977,000 | $31,947,000 | $39,810,000 | $31,590,000 |
| Washington County | 12 | $10,642 | 20.97% | 22.19% | $872,847,000 | $563,772,000 | $199,237,000 | $174,132,000 |
| Sanpete County | 13 | $10,308 | 24.53% | 14.54% | $101,659,000 | $66,136,000 | $58,971,000 | $34,579,000 |
| Millard County | 14 | $10,183 | 21.56% | 17.41% | $48,709,000 | $31,878,000 | $22,409,000 | $16,453,000 |
| Duchesne County | 15 | $10,153 | 22.16% | 13.36% | $70,107,000 | $45,886,000 | $36,956,000 | $27,956,000 |
| Iron County | 16 | $9,153 | 23.1% | 13.82% | $185,564,000 | $113,071,000 | $89,425,000 | $73,313,000 |
| Juab County | 17 | $8,883 | 18% | 11.94% | $34,577,000 | $24,201,000 | $24,279,000 | $12,890,000 |
| Rich County | 18 | $8,683 | 19.2% | 20.42% | $9,806,000 | $4,515,000 | $2,221,000 | $2,368,000 |
| Weber County | 19 | $8,174 | 15.98% | 12.37% | $679,586,000 | $492,140,000 | $383,325,000 | $276,760,000 |
| Salt Lake County | 20 | $7,872 | 11.87% | 11.94% | $3,037,674,000 | $1,993,412,000 | $1,912,208,000 | $1,044,755,000 |
| Uintah County | 21 | $7,862 | 21.56% | 12.36% | $102,080,000 | $62,252,000 | $46,944,000 | $46,860,000 |
| Box Elder County | 22 | $7,727 | 16.64% | 12.93% | $177,357,000 | $108,773,000 | $70,785,000 | $56,986,000 |
| Summit County | 23 | $7,022 | 3.11% | 15.61% | $147,157,000 | $79,280,000 | $17,999,000 | $17,358,000 |
| Cache County | 24 | $6,868 | 14.17% | 10% | $306,376,000 | $201,648,000 | $155,964,000 | $128,138,000 |
| Wasatch County | 25 | $6,578 | 7.94% | 13.88% | $107,361,000 | $57,329,000 | $18,928,000 | $20,173,000 |
| Davis County | 26 | $6,554 | 11.27% | 11% | $865,744,000 | $551,918,000 | $337,714,000 | $252,690,000 |
| Tooele County | 27 | $6,275 | 13.45% | 9.28% | $160,545,000 | $117,237,000 | $75,152,000 | $69,956,000 |
| Morgan County | 28 | $6,199 | 9% | 12.49% | $33,994,000 | $20,739,000 | $3,355,000 | $5,646,000 |
| Utah County | 29 | $5,728 | 10.64% | 7.88% | $1,235,669,000 | $780,392,000 | $758,741,000 | $552,232,000 |
