John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
John Lettieri, President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group | Official Website
In total, residents in Santa Fe County received $2.1 billion in government transfers, which accounted for 18% of total county income.
Comparatively, across all counties in New Mexico, government transfer payments totaled $29.3 billion, making up 26.5% of the state residents’ total income, with an average of $13,842 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 Fe County at the time, Social Security transfers totaled $844.7 million, amounting to $5,426 per capita, or 40.3% of total government transfers. Medicare transfers accounted for $456.7 million ($2,934 per capita), representing 21.8% of the total. Medicaid contributed $384.3 million ($2,469 per capita), making up 18.3% of total transfers. Income maintenance programs, including assistance such as SNAP or TANF, added another $250.3 million ($1,608 per capita), or 11.9% of the total.
With 28.1% of the population aged 65 and older, Santa Fe County has a significant demand for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Total per capita income excluding government transfers in Santa Fe County was $61,271, noticeably below the county’s total income of $74,751, emphasizing the role of government transfers in overall income.
When comparing 2022 to the previous year, Santa Fe County saw a decrease of 14.2% in per capita government transfers, from $15,738 to $13,479 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 Fe County, reliance on government transfers has similarly increased from 8.45% (or $1,862 per capita) in 1970 to 18% (or $13,479 per capita) in 2022, reflecting broader national trends.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s analysis, these trends are not merely short-term responses to economic pressures but rather reflect a profound, long-term transformation in how government support is integrated into American life. The study illustrates that structural shifts—from rising healthcare expenses and demographic changes to stagnant wages—have significantly increased dependency on government transfers.
| County | State Rank (Per Capita Transfers) | Per Capita Transfers ($) | Dependency on Transfers (%) | % Population 65+ | Social Security Transfers ($) | Medicare Transfers ($) | Medicaid Transfers ($) | Income Maintenance Transfers ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra County | 1 | $24,783 | 50.96% | 38.13% | $77,298,000 | $60,179,000 | $88,816,000 | $33,592,000 |
| Mora County | 2 | $23,421 | 45.23% | 32% | $25,100,000 | $14,761,000 | $38,532,000 | $11,404,000 |
| San Miguel County | 3 | $21,815 | 48% | 25.3% | $115,898,000 | $76,037,000 | $269,528,000 | $85,580,000 |
| Quay County | 4 | $20,947 | 44.37% | 27.21% | $42,142,000 | $35,639,000 | $61,558,000 | $25,000,000 |
| De Baca County | 5 | $20,909 | 37.3% | 29% | $8,589,000 | $5,705,000 | $13,603,000 | $4,430,000 |
| Grant County | 6 | $20,676 | 39.83% | 30.41% | $163,036,000 | $103,757,000 | $190,721,000 | $66,598,000 |
| Hidalgo County | 7 | $19,660 | 37% | 23% | $18,449,000 | $12,415,000 | $31,878,000 | $11,691,000 |
| Guadalupe County | 8 | $19,519 | 45.65% | 21.13% | $16,252,000 | $12,050,000 | $38,823,000 | $11,447,000 |
| Colfax County | 9 | $18,870 | 37.53% | 28.81% | $67,166,000 | $52,917,000 | $65,290,000 | $26,332,000 |
| Socorro County | 10 | $17,781 | 41.12% | 21% | $62,034,000 | $48,010,000 | $103,024,000 | $52,467,000 |
| Rio Arriba County | 11 | $17,460 | 40.23% | 21.99% | $167,307,000 | $105,253,000 | $273,807,000 | $110,592,000 |
| Lincoln County | 12 | $17,322 | 34.47% | 31.83% | $119,637,000 | $80,783,000 | $83,653,000 | $41,738,000 |
| Torrance County | 13 | $16,854 | 39% | 23% | $64,439,000 | $38,423,000 | $90,467,000 | $46,434,000 |
| Taos County | 14 | $16,575 | 35.43% | 30.51% | $173,957,000 | $107,714,000 | $174,282,000 | $72,955,000 |
| Luna County | 15 | $16,356 | 43.72% | 20.54% | $103,633,000 | $80,843,000 | $122,100,000 | $83,731,000 |
| Catron County | 16 | $16,302 | 41.31% | 42.82% | $26,346,000 | $14,940,000 | $7,515,000 | $6,408,000 |
| Union County | 17 | $15,669 | 36.21% | 23.46% | $16,054,000 | $15,890,000 | $18,570,000 | $7,037,000 |
| Chaves County | 18 | $15,250 | 31.91% | 16.53% | $210,311,000 | $163,061,000 | $378,338,000 | $164,147,000 |
| McKinley County | 19 | $15,175 | 43.47% | 13.73% | $167,059,000 | $155,948,000 | $426,135,000 | $207,178,000 |
| Cibola County | 20 | $14,991 | 43.85% | 17.86% | $87,553,000 | $73,582,000 | $141,767,000 | $67,559,000 |
| Harding County | 21 | $14,871 | 32.2% | 41.22% | $3,430,000 | $2,192,000 | $1,711,000 | $972,000 |
| Valencia County | 22 | $14,588 | 33.17% | 18.71% | $290,583,000 | $172,032,000 | $367,851,000 | $192,600,000 |
| Curry County | 23 | $14,428 | 26.88% | 13.45% | $124,672,000 | $107,629,000 | $242,856,000 | $117,662,000 |
| Roosevelt County | 24 | $14,398 | 29% | 15.16% | $50,866,000 | $44,392,000 | $105,119,000 | $43,266,000 |
| Dona Ana County | 25 | $14,130 | 31.15% | 16.99% | $744,965,000 | $573,731,000 | $911,552,000 | $587,963,000 |
| Santa Fe County | 26 | $13,479 | 18% | 28% | $844,686,000 | $456,698,000 | $384,292,000 | $250,277,000 |
| San Juan County | 27 | $13,384 | 30.77% | 16.9% | $433,406,000 | $326,925,000 | $466,219,000 | $240,791,000 |
| Bernalillo County | 28 | $12,755 | 22.96% | 18.28% | $2,539,835,000 | $1,521,446,000 | $2,276,700,000 | $1,373,160,000 |
| Otero County | 29 | $12,660 | 30.25% | 17.53% | $234,498,000 | $179,467,000 | $196,073,000 | $132,942,000 |
| Eddy County | 30 | $12,657 | 18.76% | 14.92% | $190,788,000 | $140,226,000 | $267,499,000 | $120,861,000 |
| Sandoval County | 31 | $11,622 | 21.87% | 19.99% | $653,059,000 | $367,146,000 | $301,777,000 | $234,495,000 |
| Lea County | 32 | $11,423 | 21.62% | 11.67% | $177,487,000 | $135,712,000 | $318,989,000 | $146,336,000 |
| Los Alamos County | 33 | $7,677 | 8.87% | 18.62% | $72,992,000 | $33,909,000 | $14,343,000 | $12,960,000 |
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