Choropleth map of U.S. counties showing the share of total personal income coming from government aid in 2022. Overall, counties in the Southern U.S., as well as rural counties, had a higher reliance on benefits programs like Social Security and Medicare compared to counties in the Northeast and Rust Belt. West Virginia counties had the highest average share, at 25.4%, while Connecticut had the lowest, at 12%. Georgia had an average of 20%.