In 2022, Santa Cruz County ranked 20th lowest per capita recipient of government transfers in California, with residents receiving $11,582 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 Santa Cruz County received $3.1 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 13.4% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in California, government transfer payments totaled $465.5 billion, making up 15.5% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $11,927 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 Santa Cruz County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $972.7 million, amounting to $3,679 per capita, or 31.8% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $797.4 million ($3,016 per capita), representing 26% of the total. Medicaid contributed $585.3 million ($2,214 per capita), making up 19.1% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $332.2 million ($1,257 per capita), or 10.9% of the total.
With 19% of the population aged 65 and older, Santa Cruz County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Santa Cruz County was $74,783, noticeably below the county’s total income of $86,365, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Santa Cruz County saw a decrease of 23.1% in per capita government transfers, from $15,291 to $11,582 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 Santa Cruz County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 12.22% (or $3,210 per capita) in 1970 to 13.4% (or $11,582 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modoc County | 1 | $21,063 | 37.24% | 30% | $42,731,000 | $40,328,000 | $58,964,000 | $20,182,000 |
| Siskiyou County | 2 | $19,046 | 36.78% | 27.88% | $228,691,000 | $161,479,000 | $253,582,000 | $95,028,000 |
| Plumas County | 3 | $18,548 | 31.23% | 31.95% | $110,463,000 | $90,580,000 | $81,476,000 | $29,987,000 |
| Alpine County | 4 | $18,056 | 26.73% | 26.3% | $4,565,000 | $2,845,000 | $11,234,000 | $1,745,000 |
| Del Norte County | 5 | $17,166 | 39.3% | 20.73% | $107,261,000 | $81,958,000 | $165,001,000 | $65,665,000 |
| Mendocino County | 6 | $17,149 | 29.92% | 24.64% | $394,914,000 | $333,220,000 | $481,075,000 | $174,905,000 |
| Shasta County | 7 | $17,135 | 31.66% | 21.52% | $846,619,000 | $620,739,000 | $894,439,000 | $357,627,000 |
| Mariposa County | 8 | $16,803 | 27.44% | 30.14% | $92,638,000 | $65,900,000 | $68,296,000 | $27,588,000 |
| Lake County | 9 | $16,563 | 36.3% | 23.95% | $310,681,000 | $286,633,000 | $270,071,000 | $130,541,000 |
| Tuolumne County | 10 | $16,290 | 30.85% | 28.16% | $307,418,000 | $232,078,000 | $173,882,000 | $72,423,000 |
| Calaveras County | 11 | $15,514 | 27.7% | 29% | $265,227,000 | $182,128,000 | $121,583,000 | $65,259,000 |
| Inyo County | 12 | $15,433 | 25% | 24.76% | $83,080,000 | $74,321,000 | $76,479,000 | $27,700,000 |
| Yuba County | 13 | $15,320 | 31.78% | 13.26% | $228,067,000 | $204,780,000 | $507,721,000 | $188,298,000 |
| Butte County | 14 | $15,156 | 27.57% | 18.4% | $803,728,000 | $708,297,000 | $833,217,000 | $424,778,000 |
| Trinity County | 15 | $14,925 | 41.1% | 30.86% | $59,821,000 | $47,437,000 | $78,909,000 | $26,133,000 |
| Tehama County | 16 | $14,813 | 31.31% | 20.19% | $264,478,000 | $234,589,000 | $242,529,000 | $121,385,000 |
| Humboldt County | 17 | $14,667 | 27.14% | 19.82% | $515,278,000 | $351,174,000 | $638,239,000 | $234,035,000 |
| Nevada County | 18 | $14,479 | 19.9% | 29.31% | $577,209,000 | $370,307,000 | $219,744,000 | $118,880,000 |
| Glenn County | 19 | $14,158 | 27.73% | 16.97% | $101,187,000 | $97,748,000 | $108,657,000 | $53,784,000 |
| Amador County | 20 | $13,970 | 28.83% | 27.81% | $232,863,000 | $171,496,000 | $61,886,000 | $44,706,000 |
| Los Angeles County | 21 | $13,893 | 18.74% | 15.21% | $24,877,690,000 | $29,402,585,000 | $45,513,727,000 | $23,303,277,000 |
| Imperial County | 22 | $13,476 | 29.82% | 13.76% | $451,913,000 | $528,357,000 | $568,509,000 | $486,115,000 |
| Sacramento County | 23 | $13,238 | 21.51% | 15.33% | $4,741,159,000 | $3,950,607,000 | $6,876,188,000 | $3,098,246,000 |
| San Francisco County | 24 | $13,025 | 8.36% | 18% | $2,361,121,000 | $2,445,425,000 | $3,116,285,000 | $1,536,391,000 |
| Fresno County | 25 | $13,015 | 25.75% | 12.93% | $2,417,726,000 | $2,168,546,000 | $4,690,027,000 | $2,530,263,000 |
| Lassen County | 26 | $12,950 | 31.82% | 17.27% | $86,945,000 | $65,874,000 | $144,695,000 | $47,640,000 |
| Sutter County | 27 | $12,794 | 24.6% | 16.44% | $295,481,000 | $298,208,000 | $315,305,000 | $172,417,000 |
| Sierra County | 28 | $12,643 | 26.41% | 31.6% | $15,851,000 | $11,867,000 | $3,925,000 | $4,281,000 |
| Tulare County | 29 | $12,574 | 26.59% | 11.93% | $1,050,260,000 | $935,677,000 | $2,119,762,000 | $1,213,364,000 |
| San Joaquin County | 30 | $12,478 | 23% | 13.48% | $2,054,377,000 | $1,718,664,000 | $3,653,868,000 | $1,459,405,000 |
| Merced County | 31 | $12,461 | 26.98% | 11.7% | $640,648,000 | $562,460,000 | $1,322,113,000 | $628,963,000 |
| Sonoma County | 32 | $12,415 | 15.94% | 21.57% | $2,124,013,000 | $1,654,607,000 | $1,049,175,000 | $508,637,000 |
| El Dorado County | 33 | $12,405 | 15.12% | 23.47% | $934,803,000 | $639,309,000 | $324,846,000 | $186,200,000 |
| Napa County | 34 | $12,121 | 13.95% | 21.16% | $564,290,000 | $468,424,000 | $290,020,000 | $116,208,000 |
| Solano County | 35 | $12,097 | 20.76% | 17.48% | $1,578,971,000 | $1,201,181,000 | $1,117,931,000 | $658,583,000 |
| Stanislaus County | 36 | $11,991 | 23.5% | 13.82% | $1,589,007,000 | $1,355,356,000 | $1,931,073,000 | $998,034,000 |
| Marin County | 37 | $11,630 | 6.79% | 23.92% | $1,251,925,000 | $881,968,000 | $286,137,000 | $255,195,000 |
| Alameda County | 38 | $11,610 | 11.88% | 15.54% | $4,443,285,000 | $3,956,855,000 | $6,089,537,000 | $2,421,858,000 |
| Santa Cruz County | 39 | $11,582 | 13.41% | 19% | $972,650,000 | $797,393,000 | $585,262,000 | $332,249,000 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 40 | $11,393 | 16.77% | 22.17% | $1,262,536,000 | $864,982,000 | $388,842,000 | $268,170,000 |
| Contra Costa County | 41 | $11,203 | 11.79% | 17.18% | $4,091,323,000 | $3,186,399,000 | $2,801,043,000 | $1,349,628,000 |
| Colusa County | 42 | $11,121 | 20% | 15.66% | $66,347,000 | $58,147,000 | $52,331,000 | $31,473,000 |
| San Diego County | 43 | $11,109 | 14.95% | 15.45% | $9,951,857,000 | $8,193,437,000 | $8,011,454,000 | $4,136,688,000 |
| Placer County | 44 | $11,070 | 13.54% | 20.49% | $1,788,745,000 | $1,307,941,000 | $485,310,000 | $377,714,000 |
| Ventura County | 45 | $10,959 | 14.35% | 17.44% | $2,952,598,000 | $2,604,322,000 | $1,414,110,000 | $941,815,000 |
| San Bernardino County | 46 | $10,706 | 21.73% | 12.54% | $5,346,057,000 | $4,893,376,000 | $6,191,837,000 | $4,133,385,000 |
| Madera County | 47 | $10,676 | 23% | 14.48% | $449,606,000 | $335,238,000 | $423,930,000 | $297,957,000 |
| Monterey County | 48 | $10,646 | 16.35% | 14.98% | $1,227,634,000 | $979,309,000 | $1,033,073,000 | $656,266,000 |
| Santa Barbara County | 49 | $10,320 | 13.63% | 16.58% | $1,474,618,000 | $1,125,977,000 | $729,159,000 | $615,564,000 |
| Kings County | 50 | $10,173 | 23.92% | 10.86% | $298,670,000 | $260,036,000 | $501,799,000 | $263,374,000 |
| Riverside County | 51 | $10,171 | 19.78% | 15.38% | $7,395,636,000 | $6,293,208,000 | $3,900,974,000 | $3,827,603,000 |
| Kern County | 52 | $10,122 | 22.56% | 11.8% | $2,133,619,000 | $1,979,163,000 | $2,172,594,000 | $1,774,711,000 |
| Yolo County | 53 | $9,961 | 15.5% | 13.42% | $603,156,000 | $455,474,000 | $577,639,000 | $256,100,000 |
| Orange County | 54 | $9,775 | 11.7% | 16.26% | $9,672,905,000 | $8,612,499,000 | $4,615,946,000 | $4,060,610,000 |
| Santa Clara County | 55 | $9,529 | 6.6% | 14.92% | $5,077,136,000 | $4,240,510,000 | $4,431,704,000 | $2,023,296,000 |
| San Mateo County | 56 | $9,223 | 5.27% | 18% | $2,556,149,000 | $1,822,928,000 | $874,678,000 | $610,736,000 |
| San Benito County | 57 | $9,080 | 14.72% | 13.51% | $182,318,000 | $158,940,000 | $103,821,000 | $78,467,000 |
| Mono County | 58 | $7,890 | 12% | 18.61% | $31,517,000 | $24,848,000 | $13,953,000 | $12,004,000 |
