 |
| The dark blue areas have seen significantly higher personal incomes in 2013. The brown areas have been flat or have seen declines. The others are closer to the national average increase of 1.3 percent. |
Of course, the numbers being for the year 2013 when it's nearly 2015, the reaction could be: Ho hum.
But the delay is made up for by the reliability and importance of the numbers. They provide a good comparative look at the counties.
Personal income data by county tell us how their neighbors are doing over time and relative to the rest of the country.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers on jobs and unemployment are released faster because we agree to suspend disbelief in our eagerness to have the data in our hands. The BLS tries to adjust the data to mask the variability of the data resulting from seasonality and small sample coverage in the household survey. The BEA's per capita personal income numbers by county are closer to a final answer to the important question: "How are we doing, money-wise?"
Some regional data are in the table below, abbreviated to make it easier to talk about and handle (the full table is at www.bea.gov under "Regional"). The top line is the summary for the United States. Per capita income grew from $42,332 in 2011 to $44,765 in 2013. There was quite a jump between 2011 and 2012, 4.4 percent, but the increase between 2012 and 2013 was less than one-third the rate, 1.3 percent.
Knowing that the country as a whole had a spurt of personal income in 2012 and then fell back to a lower rate in 2013 helps interpret how each state and county was doing.
The states vary considerably among themselves and between years in the change in their share of the increased income. Arkansas jumped 6.8 percent in 2012 and then rose only 0.8 percent in 2013. The District of Columbia actually saw a loss of per capita income in 2013, but at $75,950 in 2012 that was a loss from a high base.
The variability is even greater among counties. Indian River County (Vero Beach) saw its per capita income grow 5 percent in 2012, but then it declined in 2013. Palm Beach grew 4.8 percent from its high base of $57,252 and kept growing in 2013 at the national rate of 1.3 percent.
The variability is even greater among counties. Indian River County (Vero Beach) saw its per capita income grow 5 percent in 2012, but then it declined in 2013. Palm Beach grew 4.8 percent from its high base of $57,252 and kept growing in 2013 at the national rate of 1.3 percent.
Table 1. Per Capita Personal Income by County, 2011-2013
|
Per capita personal income and Rank in State
|
Change and Rank in State
|
|||||
Dollars
|
Rank
|
Percent change
|
Rank
|
||||
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2013
|
2012
|
2013
|
2013
|
|
United States
|
42,332
|
44,200
|
44,765
|
--
|
4.4
|
1.3
|
--
|
Alabama
|
35,010
|
35,942
|
36,481
|
--
|
2.7
|
1.5
|
--
|
Alaska
|
48,181
|
49,906
|
50,150
|
--
|
3.6
|
0.5
|
--
|
Arizona
|
35,512
|
36,624
|
36,983
|
--
|
3.1
|
1.0
|
--
|
Arkansas
|
34,089
|
36,423
|
36,698
|
--
|
6.8
|
0.8
|
--
|
California
|
44,749
|
47,505
|
48,434
|
--
|
6.2
|
2.0
|
--
|
Colorado
|
44,183
|
46,315
|
46,897
|
--
|
4.8
|
1.3
|
--
|
Connecticut
|
57,547
|
60,223
|
60,658
|
--
|
4.7
|
0.7
|
--
|
Delaware
|
42,696
|
44,031
|
44,815
|
--
|
3.1
|
1.8
|
--
|
District of Columbia
|
74,103
|
75,950
|
75,329
|
--
|
2.5
|
-0.8
|
--
|
Florida
|
40,215
|
41,041
|
41,497
|
--
|
2.1
|
1.1
|
--
|
| Indian River (Vero) |
51,890
|
54,501
|
54,448
|
5
|
5.0
|
-0.1
|
62
|
| Miami-Dade |
38,242
|
39,467
|
39,880
|
17
|
3.2
|
1.0
|
41
|
| Orange (Orlando) |
36,333
|
37,479
|
37,844
|
24
|
3.2
|
1.0
|
44
|
| Palm Beach |
54,616
|
57,252
|
57,985
|
2
|
4.8
|
1.3
|
34
|
| St. Lucie |
31,289
|
30,932
|
31,182
|
40
|
-1.1
|
0.8
|
49
|
Georgia
|
36,422
|
37,229
|
37,845
|
--
|
2.2
|
1.7
|
--
|
Hawaii
|
42,989
|
44,578
|
45,204
|
--
|
3.7
|
1.4
|
--
|
Idaho
|
33,677
|
35,142
|
36,146
|
--
|
4.4
|
2.9
|
--
|
Illinois
|
44,169
|
46,009
|
46,980
|
--
|
4.2
|
2.1
|
--
|
| Cook |
46,966
|
48,948
|
49,661
|
7
|
4.2
|
1.5
|
90
|
Indiana
|
36,367
|
38,136
|
38,622
|
--
|
4.9
|
1.3
|
--
|
Iowa
|
42,656
|
44,014
|
44,763
|
--
|
3.2
|
1.7
|
--
|
Kansas
|
42,098
|
43,380
|
44,417
|
--
|
3.0
|
2.4
|
--
|
Kentucky
|
34,568
|
35,857
|
36,214
|
--
|
3.7
|
1.0
|
--
|
Louisiana
|
38,501
|
40,617
|
41,204
|
--
|
5.5
|
1.4
|
--
|
Maine
|
38,802
|
39,863
|
40,924
|
--
|
2.7
|
2.7
|
--
|
Maryland
|
52,191
|
53,659
|
53,826
|
--
|
2.8
|
0.3
|
--
|
| Baltimore |
51,886
|
53,835
|
54,009
|
6
|
3.8
|
0.3
|
14
|
| Baltimore City |
42,071
|
43,386
|
44,053
|
15
|
3.1
|
1.5
|
10
|
Massachusetts
|
54,235
|
56,713
|
57,248
|
--
|
4.6
|
0.9
|
--
|
| Suffolk |
55,608
|
57,491
|
57,660
|
6
|
3.4
|
0.3
|
14
|
Michigan
|
37,163
|
38,585
|
39,055
|
--
|
3.8
|
1.2
|
--
|
Minnesota
|
45,220
|
47,377
|
47,500
|
--
|
4.8
|
0.3
|
--
|
Mississippi
|
32,108
|
33,446
|
33,913
|
--
|
4.2
|
1.4
|
--
|
Missouri
|
38,016
|
39,933
|
40,663
|
--
|
5.0
|
1.8
|
--
|
Montana
|
36,890
|
39,142
|
39,366
|
--
|
6.1
|
0.6
|
--
|
Nebraska
|
43,721
|
45,914
|
47,157
|
--
|
5.0
|
2.7
|
--
|
Nevada
|
37,445
|
39,229
|
39,235
|
--
|
4.8
|
0.0
|
--
|
New Hampshire
|
47,664
|
50,056
|
51,013
|
--
|
5.0
|
1.9
|
--
|
New Jersey
|
53,323
|
54,932
|
55,386
|
--
|
3.0
|
0.8
|
--
|
| Atlantic |
41,397
|
42,288
|
42,425
|
19
|
2.2
|
0.3
|
18
|
| Bergen |
67,248
|
69,281
|
69,495
|
4
|
3.0
|
0.3
|
19
|
| Burlington |
49,471
|
51,149
|
51,638
|
12
|
3.4
|
1.0
|
12
|
| Camden |
44,229
|
45,063
|
45,544
|
15
|
1.9
|
1.1
|
9
|
| Cape May |
50,908
|
53,070
|
53,932
|
9
|
4.2
|
1.6
|
3
|
| Cumberland |
35,413
|
35,468
|
35,825
|
21
|
0.2
|
1.0
|
10
|
| Essex |
53,597
|
54,318
|
54,606
|
7
|
1.3
|
0.5
|
15
|
| Gloucester |
43,488
|
44,833
|
45,169
|
16
|
3.1
|
0.7
|
13
|
| Hudson |
49,111
|
49,978
|
50,172
|
13
|
1.8
|
0.4
|
17
|
| Hunterdon |
69,717
|
74,534
|
75,523
|
2
|
6.9
|
1.3
|
6
|
| Mercer |
53,037
|
55,933
|
56,906
|
6
|
5.5
|
1.7
|
2
|
| Middlesex |
50,267
|
51,730
|
52,291
|
11
|
2.9
|
1.1
|
7
|
| Monmouth |
59,875
|
61,997
|
62,901
|
5
|
3.5
|
1.5
|
4
|
| Morris |
71,914
|
74,826
|
75,054
|
3
|
4.0
|
0.3
|
20
|
| Ocean |
42,121
|
43,016
|
43,214
|
18
|
2.1
|
0.5
|
16
|
| Passaic |
43,853
|
44,600
|
44,688
|
17
|
1.7
|
0.2
|
21
|
| Salem |
41,138
|
41,550
|
41,997
|
20
|
1.0
|
1.1
|
8
|
| Somerset |
72,704
|
76,918
|
77,685
|
1
|
5.8
|
1.0
|
11
|
| Sussex |
50,800
|
52,592
|
52,958
|
10
|
3.5
|
0.7
|
14
|
| Union |
52,297
|
53,638
|
54,382
|
8
|
2.6
|
1.4
|
5
|
| Warren |
46,070
|
48,115
|
49,040
|
14
|
4.4
|
1.9
|
1
|
New York
|
51,941
|
54,099
|
54,462
|
--
|
4.2
|
0.7
|
--
|
| Albany |
50,275
|
52,587
|
53,515
|
7
|
4.6
|
1.8
|
16
|
| Bronx |
32,565
|
32,680
|
32,852
|
60
|
0.4
|
0.5
|
44
|
| Dutchess |
47,083
|
49,378
|
49,627
|
10
|
4.9
|
0.5
|
48
|
| Erie |
42,925
|
45,063
|
45,496
|
16
|
5.0
|
1.0
|
35
|
| Essex |
36,268
|
38,392
|
39,309
|
34
|
5.9
|
2.4
|
4
|
| Kings |
41,038
|
42,211
|
42,306
|
24
|
2.9
|
0.2
|
53
|
| Nassau |
68,979
|
72,460
|
72,549
|
3
|
5.0
|
0.1
|
58
|
| New York |
116,329
|
120,382
|
121,632
|
1
|
3.5
|
1.0
|
34
|
| Putnam |
55,844
|
58,865
|
58,955
|
4
|
5.4
|
0.2
|
56
|
| Queens |
43,140
|
44,431
|
44,966
|
19
|
3.0
|
1.2
|
27
|
| Rensselaer |
41,961
|
43,371
|
44,152
|
22
|
3.4
|
1.8
|
15
|
| Richmond |
49,839
|
51,223
|
51,328
|
9
|
2.8
|
0.2
|
55
|
| Rockland |
54,294
|
56,746
|
56,657
|
6
|
4.5
|
-0.2
|
60
|
| Suffolk |
53,774
|
56,819
|
56,940
|
5
|
5.7
|
0.2
|
54
|
| Ulster |
41,818
|
44,045
|
44,527
|
20
|
5.3
|
1.1
|
30
|
| Westchester |
75,291
|
80,505
|
80,363
|
2
|
6.9
|
-0.2
|
61
|
North Carolina
|
36,508
|
38,538
|
38,683
|
--
|
5.6
|
0.4
|
--
|
North Dakota
|
47,868
|
56,310
|
53,182
|
--
|
17.6
|
-5.6
|
--
|
| Steele |
55,909
|
81,029
|
53,918
|
16
|
44.9
|
-33.5
|
50
|
Ohio
|
38,631
|
40,230
|
41,049
|
--
|
4.1
|
2.0
|
--
|
Oklahoma
|
38,980
|
41,399
|
41,861
|
--
|
6.2
|
1.1
|
--
|
Oregon
|
37,707
|
39,258
|
39,848
|
--
|
4.1
|
1.5
|
--
|
Pennsylvania
|
43,806
|
45,577
|
46,202
|
--
|
4.0
|
1.4
|
--
|
Rhode Island
|
44,571
|
46,257
|
46,989
|
--
|
3.8
|
1.6
|
--
|
South Carolina
|
34,079
|
35,347
|
35,831
|
--
|
3.7
|
1.4
|
--
|
South Dakota
|
44,439
|
45,676
|
46,039
|
--
|
2.8
|
0.8
|
--
|
Tennessee
|
37,151
|
39,002
|
39,558
|
--
|
5.0
|
1.4
|
--
|
Texas
|
41,016
|
43,271
|
43,862
|
--
|
5.5
|
1.4
|
--
|
Utah
|
34,235
|
35,891
|
36,640
|
--
|
4.8
|
2.1
|
--
|
Vermont
|
42,968
|
44,443
|
45,483
|
--
|
3.4
|
2.3
|
--
|
Virginia
|
47,076
|
48,715
|
48,838
|
--
|
3.5
|
0.3
|
--
|
Washington
|
44,565
|
47,055
|
47,717
|
--
|
5.6
|
1.4
|
--
|
West Virginia
|
33,954
|
35,140
|
35,533
|
--
|
3.5
|
1.1
|
--
|
Wisconsin
|
40,780
|
42,475
|
43,244
|
--
|
4.2
|
1.8
|
--
|
Wyoming
|
49,260
|
52,469
|
52,826
|
--
|
6.5
|
0.7
|
--
|
| 1. Per capita personal income was computed using Census Bureau midyear population estimates. Estimates reflect county population estimates available as of March 2014. | |||||||
| 2. Percent change was calculated from unrounded data. | |||||||
| Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis | |||||||
The New York State counties are interesting. The average incomes confirm the reputation of Manhattan (New York County) as dwarfing neighboring county incomes. The next-highest skip over the "Outer Boroughs" and go to Westchester, Nassau, Putnam, Suffolk and Rockland counties in New York State and a similar group of high rollers in New Jersey. Westchester saw a big 6.9 percent leap in personal income in 2012, but it and Rockland both saw a small decline in per capita incomes in 2013.
Notice the oddly high variability of per capita income in Steele County, ND. A 45 percent increase in 2012 and a one-third decrease in 2013. However, the explanation is simple. The total population of the county is under 2,000 people, so a few families with highly correlated incomes - for example, all dependent upon revenue from the same oil well - could skew the county numbers.
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