In 2022, Sheboygan County ranked 20th lowest per capita recipient of government transfers in Wisconsin, with residents receiving $10,598 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 Sheboygan County received $1.2 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 17.6% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in Wisconsin, government transfer payments totaled $65.6 billion, making up 18.1% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $11,137 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 Sheboygan County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $545.9 million, amounting to $4,632 per capita, or 43.7% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $312.8 million ($2,654 per capita), representing 25% of the total. Medicaid contributed $181.8 million ($1,543 per capita), making up 14.6% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $103.8 million ($881 per capita), or 8.3% of the total.
With 19.7% of the population aged 65 and older, Sheboygan County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Sheboygan County was $49,762, noticeably below the county’s total income of $60,359, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Sheboygan County saw a decrease of 18% in per capita government transfers, from $12,938 to $10,598 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 Sheboygan County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 7.78% (or $1,804 per capita) in 1970 to 17.6% (or $10,598 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn County | 1 | $17,768 | 32% | 28% | $105,590,000 | $88,202,000 | $48,907,000 | $17,725,000 |
| Iron County | 2 | $17,398 | 32.44% | 32.97% | $40,982,000 | $27,487,000 | $20,331,000 | $6,360,000 |
| Price County | 3 | $17,263 | 33.3% | 28.5% | $90,603,000 | $63,416,000 | $45,541,000 | $15,193,000 |
| Vilas County | 4 | $17,111 | 28.61% | 31.65% | $177,124,000 | $126,284,000 | $36,466,000 | $19,260,000 |
| Sawyer County | 5 | $16,196 | 31.76% | 28.1% | $114,525,000 | $83,486,000 | $50,096,000 | $19,794,000 |
| Burnett County | 6 | $15,942 | 33.16% | 32% | $115,934,000 | $70,910,000 | $38,196,000 | $17,148,000 |
| Ashland County | 7 | $15,884 | 34.52% | 21.82% | $80,456,000 | $66,959,000 | $58,383,000 | $22,237,000 |
| Langlade County | 8 | $15,600 | 30.68% | 25.77% | $111,204,000 | $80,641,000 | $55,146,000 | $24,628,000 |
| Marinette County | 9 | $15,525 | 29.71% | 25.17% | $246,134,000 | $170,253,000 | $117,564,000 | $44,738,000 |
| Forest County | 10 | $15,420 | 34% | 25.25% | $51,275,000 | $35,769,000 | $28,723,000 | $11,382,000 |
| Rusk County | 11 | $15,400 | 29.22% | 26.12% | $76,043,000 | $58,264,000 | $41,205,000 | $18,331,000 |
| Menominee County | 12 | $15,176 | 36.63% | 15.74% | $16,766,000 | $10,933,000 | $16,293,000 | $15,087,000 |
| Oneida County | 13 | $15,125 | 27% | 28.25% | $250,312,000 | $135,224,000 | $93,741,000 | $31,883,000 |
| Pepin County | 14 | $14,870 | 24.72% | 24.13% | $37,612,000 | $35,996,000 | $18,870,000 | $5,754,000 |
| Florence County | 15 | $14,800 | 23.76% | 29.64% | $30,822,000 | $14,189,000 | $10,803,000 | $4,404,000 |
| Adams County | 16 | $14,485 | 32.41% | 32% | $145,188,000 | $64,197,000 | $45,203,000 | $23,860,000 |
| Door County | 17 | $14,465 | 20.34% | 32.31% | $209,344,000 | $129,934,000 | $41,439,000 | $20,193,000 |
| Bayfield County | 18 | $14,349 | 27% | 31% | $101,535,000 | $60,557,000 | $32,795,000 | $14,780,000 |
| Waupaca County | 19 | $14,209 | 26% | 21.23% | $270,987,000 | $181,112,000 | $164,674,000 | $44,049,000 |
| Lincoln County | 20 | $14,171 | 26.72% | 23.71% | $157,002,000 | $110,026,000 | $64,485,000 | $25,025,000 |
| Marquette County | 21 | $14,129 | 28.81% | 26.66% | $94,795,000 | $61,192,000 | $26,750,000 | $15,549,000 |
| Barron County | 22 | $13,933 | 24% | 23.44% | $234,455,000 | $177,723,000 | $119,947,000 | $47,952,000 |
| Douglas County | 23 | $13,845 | 27.99% | 20.83% | $191,708,000 | $152,703,000 | $124,740,000 | $48,555,000 |
| Crawford County | 24 | $13,798 | 27.19% | 25.41% | $80,761,000 | $63,132,000 | $40,039,000 | $16,895,000 |
| Wood County | 25 | $13,504 | 25.4% | 22% | $379,250,000 | $271,914,000 | $151,890,000 | $81,258,000 |
| Richland County | 26 | $13,438 | 26.15% | 24.89% | $79,598,000 | $56,113,000 | $57,959,000 | $18,510,000 |
| Juneau County | 27 | $13,132 | 28.12% | 22.23% | $130,714,000 | $87,666,000 | $63,667,000 | $32,434,000 |
| Polk County | 28 | $13,059 | 24% | 22.59% | $233,842,000 | $175,806,000 | $87,255,000 | $38,159,000 |
| Milwaukee County | 29 | $13,056 | 23.24% | 14.81% | $3,054,576,000 | $2,355,520,000 | $3,612,191,000 | $2,187,647,000 |
| Buffalo County | 30 | $12,825 | 23.18% | 23.79% | $62,354,000 | $47,587,000 | $30,516,000 | $11,339,000 |
| Green Lake County | 31 | $12,723 | 24.55% | 23.73% | $104,292,000 | $63,401,000 | $39,312,000 | $17,050,000 |
| Waushara County | 32 | $12,670 | 27.13% | 26% | $140,457,000 | $76,692,000 | $39,109,000 | $23,604,000 |
| Shawano County | 33 | $12,311 | 24.4% | 21.97% | $196,806,000 | $129,957,000 | $85,169,000 | $41,128,000 |
| Jackson County | 34 | $12,275 | 24.5% | 20.67% | $88,802,000 | $69,502,000 | $44,279,000 | $21,488,000 |
| Manitowoc County | 35 | $12,253 | 22.44% | 22.5% | $415,966,000 | $260,688,000 | $155,665,000 | $69,547,000 |
| Vernon County | 36 | $12,144 | 23.99% | 21% | $136,707,000 | $111,149,000 | $66,980,000 | $26,731,000 |
| Racine County | 37 | $11,909 | 20.68% | 18.11% | $879,434,000 | $633,930,000 | $391,068,000 | $252,128,000 |
| Oconto County | 38 | $11,724 | 21.78% | 22.45% | $199,932,000 | $118,470,000 | $57,944,000 | $31,061,000 |
| Trempealeau County | 39 | $11,677 | 22.77% | 18.87% | $124,047,000 | $85,736,000 | $88,399,000 | $25,822,000 |
| Chippewa County | 40 | $11,657 | 21.4% | 19.62% | $283,978,000 | $192,731,000 | $152,448,000 | $57,755,000 |
| Taylor County | 41 | $11,576 | 23.13% | 21.16% | $85,382,000 | $56,434,000 | $42,410,000 | $17,190,000 |
| Fond du Lac County | 42 | $11,502 | 19.76% | 19.79% | $458,162,000 | $317,189,000 | $223,972,000 | $84,635,000 |
| Kewaunee County | 43 | $11,473 | 19.86% | 22% | $96,828,000 | $69,841,000 | $30,757,000 | $13,953,000 |
| Clark County | 44 | $11,465 | 22.32% | 17.38% | $126,462,000 | $116,520,000 | $81,542,000 | $29,337,000 |
| Grant County | 45 | $11,354 | 21.72% | 18.49% | $210,448,000 | $153,715,000 | $117,327,000 | $40,228,000 |
| Rock County | 46 | $11,186 | 21.3% | 17.87% | $708,412,000 | $471,619,000 | $309,404,000 | $200,341,000 |
| Monroe County | 47 | $11,153 | 22.3% | 18.13% | $168,215,000 | $114,854,000 | $87,539,000 | $47,430,000 |
| Sauk County | 48 | $11,060 | 17.82% | 20% | $295,264,000 | $202,905,000 | $100,564,000 | $59,539,000 |
| La Crosse County | 49 | $10,884 | 18% | 17.96% | $474,229,000 | $303,295,000 | $274,480,000 | $94,022,000 |
| Portage County | 50 | $10,759 | 19.79% | 18.29% | $297,250,000 | $184,300,000 | $132,861,000 | $53,097,000 |
| Dunn County | 51 | $10,710 | 21.71% | 16.74% | $175,213,000 | $133,231,000 | $79,962,000 | $39,079,000 |
| Green County | 52 | $10,659 | 17.36% | 20.62% | $169,967,000 | $100,373,000 | $58,535,000 | $27,907,000 |
| Sheboygan County | 53 | $10,598 | 17.56% | 19.71% | $545,885,000 | $312,784,000 | $181,818,000 | $103,845,000 |
| Eau Claire County | 54 | $10,541 | 18.39% | 17.23% | $411,763,000 | $288,852,000 | $206,094,000 | $87,703,000 |
| Walworth County | 55 | $10,491 | 16.7% | 19.88% | $480,245,000 | $300,096,000 | $144,300,000 | $77,658,000 |
| Kenosha County | 56 | $10,440 | 17.92% | 15.86% | $652,406,000 | $411,949,000 | $312,910,000 | $190,394,000 |
| Columbia County | 57 | $10,437 | 16.96% | 19.69% | $269,357,000 | $146,347,000 | $82,179,000 | $42,742,000 |
| Jefferson County | 58 | $10,358 | 18.82% | 18.62% | $371,529,000 | $209,020,000 | $169,673,000 | $60,788,000 |
| Ozaukee County | 59 | $10,217 | 10.24% | 21.62% | $485,380,000 | $278,140,000 | $71,342,000 | $33,620,000 |
| Dodge County | 60 | $10,181 | 19.43% | 18.98% | $389,642,000 | $212,786,000 | $151,890,000 | $64,942,000 |
| Winnebago County | 61 | $10,113 | 17.78% | 17.58% | $726,894,000 | $431,845,000 | $251,900,000 | $140,156,000 |
| Waukesha County | 62 | $10,097 | 11.53% | 20.4% | $2,046,939,000 | $1,236,727,000 | $355,115,000 | $170,192,000 |
| Washington County | 63 | $10,095 | 14.69% | 19.75% | $656,892,000 | $405,317,000 | $137,641,000 | $67,691,000 |
| Pierce County | 64 | $10,080 | 17.28% | 16.62% | $169,710,000 | $132,291,000 | $53,651,000 | $22,154,000 |
| Marathon County | 65 | $10,023 | 16.72% | 19.18% | $582,111,000 | $333,997,000 | $206,755,000 | $118,635,000 |
| Iowa County | 66 | $10,012 | 17% | 20.82% | $107,515,000 | $60,678,000 | $31,991,000 | $17,835,000 |
| Lafayette County | 67 | $9,962 | 19.14% | 20.1% | $66,484,000 | $46,140,000 | $24,731,000 | $13,728,000 |
| Brown County | 68 | $9,355 | 14.96% | 16.36% | $1,029,646,000 | $617,884,000 | $352,393,000 | $243,586,000 |
| Outagamie County | 69 | $9,177 | 15.21% | 16.49% | $762,875,000 | $462,201,000 | $211,622,000 | $133,966,000 |
| St. Croix County | 70 | $8,500 | 12.6% | 15.91% | $353,330,000 | $227,890,000 | $94,830,000 | $44,209,000 |
| Dane County | 71 | $8,073 | 10.95% | 15.15% | $1,974,610,000 | $1,053,860,000 | $718,090,000 | $390,964,000 |
| Calumet County | 72 | $7,140 | 12.1% | 17.28% | $188,828,000 | $83,555,000 | $38,820,000 | $25,490,000 |
