STATE MOVES UP PER CAPITA INCOME CHART DESPITE SLIP

Arkansas moved up in per capita income state rankings to its highest level ever, in large part due to other states’ misfortunes.

According to new statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arkansas ranked 45th with per capita income of $31,946.

Arkansas placed higher than Kentucky, South Carolina, Idaho, Utah and Mississippi. Last year, Arkansas ranked 46th in per capita income, an improvement from the previous year’s position of 48th.

While Arkansas rose in the rankings, it actually saw per capita personal income fall by about one percent. The $31,946 figure is less than $32,257 reported in 2008.

Among all states, per capita personal income declined an average of 2.8 percent in 2009, according to the government report. Per capita personal income is calculated by taking the total personal income of residents of a state and dividing it by the state’s population.

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