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xchrom

(108,903 posts)
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 06:04 AM Sep 2014

RANKED: The 50 US State Economies From Worst To Best {IMAGES}

http://www.businessinsider.com/ranked-the-50-us-state-economies-2014-8?op=1


Mississippi

Mississippi faces many challenges, frequently coming in last in state rankings of educational attainment and health. Mississippi came in dead last in four out of our seven metrics:

The unemployment rate in July was at 8.0%, the highest in the country.
Gross Domestic Product per capita was just $32,421 in 2013, the lowest among the states.
Mississippi came in last in personal consumption, the largest component of GDP, with just $27,406 per person.
Average annual wages were the lowest in the country, at $36,451.


New Mexico

New Mexico has struggled to recover from the Great Recession, with labor conditions and demographics stagnant over the past few years. New Mexico had low scores on most of our metrics:

The average annual wage in New Mexico was somewhat low, at $40,804.
New Mexico's state government finances were in bad shape, with a 2012 deficit of $1.8 billion, which, on a per-capita basis, is the fourth-worst in the country.
International exports made up a much smaller part of New Mexico's economy than for other states, with just $1,307 of exports per capita in 2013.


Arkansas

Arkansas is the home of Wal-Mart, sitting proudly at the top of the Fortune 500 list. Unfortunately, Arkansas was among the 10 worst states on three measures:

Average annual wages were only $38,927 in 2013.
Personal consumption expenditures were the second-lowest in the country at $28,366.
GDP per capita as a whole was just $39,111.


Maine

Maine faces demographic headwinds: only two states, Maine and West Virginia, had more deaths than births between 2012 and 2013. Maine struggled on a number of metrics:

Maine was one of 13 states to lose payroll jobs in July 2014, dropping 900 nonfarm payrolls.
Maine had a low GDP per capita, at $38,517.
Average wages were also somewhat low, at $39,282.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ranked-the-50-us-state-economies-2014-8?op=1#ixzz3CoN9LAmE
24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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RANKED: The 50 US State Economies From Worst To Best {IMAGES} (Original Post) xchrom Sep 2014 OP
k&r for exposure. n/t Laelth Sep 2014 #1
Agreed Sherman A1 Sep 2014 #3
This is quite interesting ... also the other links in the article for similar analyzes. n/t RKP5637 Sep 2014 #2
Kick, good read! Agschmid Sep 2014 #4
"Poor" Illinois is #12. Gidney N Cloyd Sep 2014 #5
NC and Wisconsin, both hijacked by the Tealiban, rank at 23. If Walker & McCrony... Triana Sep 2014 #6
Texas!?!? salib Sep 2014 #7
Texas sailed through the Great Recession as if it never happened. I have ChisolmTrailDem Sep 2014 #21
Astonished WI did that well. AllyCat Sep 2014 #8
In the real world TX doesn't come close to number 2. hobbit709 Sep 2014 #9
I just moved from Plano to Wylie and there is money everywhere snooper2 Sep 2014 #10
And like here in Austin, most of that money is coming from out of state. hobbit709 Sep 2014 #11
Yep, Toyota is moving from cali to Plano, thousands of employees, lots of people from out of state snooper2 Sep 2014 #12
There is only so much of that outside $. I've seen Eleanors38 Sep 2014 #17
I think it depends on where you are tammywammy Sep 2014 #16
Interesting link. n/t tammywammy Sep 2014 #13
K&R! smirkymonkey Sep 2014 #14
Texas is number two. Too bad they all wear those stupid Cowboy clothes! NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #15
Hear that Rick Scott? lpbk2713 Sep 2014 #18
Their ranking system appears to be almost entirely based on unemployment rate jeff47 Sep 2014 #19
Completely agree. stillwaiting Sep 2014 #22
Poor Jesse... PasadenaTrudy Sep 2014 #20
A little off-topic but the photo used for Kansas is misleading... KansDem Sep 2014 #23
The article is misleading overall. dixiegrrrrl Sep 2014 #24

Gidney N Cloyd

(19,782 posts)
5. "Poor" Illinois is #12.
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 09:02 AM
Sep 2014

I don't know how long our greedy, thieving repubs are going to be able to keep up the claim that we can't fix the pension shortfall by any means other than screwing the workers.

 

Triana

(22,666 posts)
6. NC and Wisconsin, both hijacked by the Tealiban, rank at 23. If Walker & McCrony...
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 09:08 AM
Sep 2014

...had consciences (they don't), they'd be ashamed of themselves.

salib

(2,116 posts)
7. Texas!?!?
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 09:26 AM
Sep 2014

Texas ranks 46th in the poverty rate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_poverty_rate

Also, I did a quick calc with poverty rate plus unemployment rate (http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm), and it looks like this:

New Hampshire 5.60% 4.46 10.06%
Vermont 7.60% 3.76 11.36%
Minnesota 8.10% 4.511 12.61%
Utah 9.20% 3.64 12.84%
Hawaii 8.60% 4.46 13.06%
Nebraska 9.50% 3.62 13.12%
New Jersey 6.80% 6.532 13.33%
North Dakota 11.20% 2.82 14.02%
Virginia 9.20% 5.419 14.62%
Idaho 9.90% 4.814 14.71%
Wyoming 10.60% 4.49 15.09%
Delaware 9.20% 6.228 15.43%
South Dakota 11.80% 3.74 15.54%
Massachusetts 10.10% 5.62 15.72%
Washington 10.20% 5.622 15.82%
Maryland 9.70% 6.128 15.83%
Iowa 11.30% 4.59 15.89%
Wisconsin 10.20% 5.826 16.03%
Connecticut 9.70% 6.636 16.34%
Alaska 10.00% 6.532 16.53%
Colorado 11.40% 5.317 16.72%
Pennsylvania 11.20% 5.722 16.92%
Florida 11.10% 6.231 17.33%
Kansas 12.50% 4.915 17.42%
Ohio 12.30% 5.722 18.02%
Maine 12.60% 5.52 18.12%
Missouri 11.60% 6.532 18.13%
Illinois 11.50% 6.84 18.34%
Nevada 10.60% 7.747 18.35%
Montana 13.80% 4.611 18.41%
Indiana 12.60% 5.927 18.53%
Oregon 12.00% 6.941 18.94%
North Carolina 13.10% 6.536 19.64%
Michigan 12.00% 7.747 19.75%
Rhode Island 12.10% 7.75 19.85%
Oklahoma 15.60% 4.613 20.21%
California 13.20% 7.444 20.64%
South Carolina 15.00% 5.725 20.73%
New York 14.50% 6.639 21.14%
Texas 16.20% 5.116 21.32%
West Virginia 15.40% 6.332 21.73%
Arkansas 15.90% 6.228 22.13%
Tennessee 15.00% 7.144 22.14%
Arizona 15.20% 7.043 22.24%
Kentucky 14.80% 7.447 22.25%
Georgia 14.40% 7.851 22.25%
Louisiana 18.30% 5.417 23.72%
Alabama 16.70% 7.041 23.74%
New Mexico 17.90% 6.636 24.54%
Mississippi 20.10% 8 28.10%
District of Columbia 20.70% 7.444 28.14%

Blue states are not necessarily the best that way, but at least it shows just how bad it is (poverty and unemployment) in the places we knew.

 

ChisolmTrailDem

(9,463 posts)
21. Texas sailed through the Great Recession as if it never happened. I have
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 11:24 AM
Sep 2014

posted a couple of times about how it.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)
9. In the real world TX doesn't come close to number 2.
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 09:39 AM
Sep 2014

Most of the people I know of aren't even close to $51K.
take away the top 10% and I'd say it's more like 25K.

My housemate works at a local chain restaurant. None of the employees are making more than $10/hr. Meanwhile two managers are making $80K+, the other manager is making $120K+, and the owner gets $50K/mo off the top plus whatever profits there are at the end of the year.
Benefits: What in the fuck is that? Health insurance-available with a $7500 deductible, you can guess how often someone making $16K/yr can cover that.

 

snooper2

(30,151 posts)
10. I just moved from Plano to Wylie and there is money everywhere
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 09:48 AM
Sep 2014

Off Plano Parkway that turns into 544 they are building huge custom homes out the wazzoo. In Wylie there are new businesses going up everywhere. Frisco is the same way, houses are selling in hours (I got 5 offers on mine in a day)-


350-400K



 

snooper2

(30,151 posts)
12. Yep, Toyota is moving from cali to Plano, thousands of employees, lots of people from out of state
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 09:53 AM
Sep 2014

My new next door neighbors are from Kenya, The family across the street is from India, next door is a white couple and next to them is a Hispanic family that just moved from Arizona.

 

Eleanors38

(18,318 posts)
17. There is only so much of that outside $. I've seen
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 10:23 AM
Sep 2014

Three real estate busts in my 44 yrs of living here. There's always room for Jell-o!

tammywammy

(26,582 posts)
16. I think it depends on where you are
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 10:21 AM
Sep 2014

I'm one step above entry level making $52k and I'm at the very bottom of the pay scale. Friends I have outside this employer all still make above $30k. The only person I'm tangibly acquainted with that makes less than $10/hr is because of choices he makes in employment. He could make more but chooses not to.

It's really all about who you're around.

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
14. K&R!
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 10:14 AM
Sep 2014

Kind of surprised to see Maine so low on the list, but I am mostly only familiar w the Southern Maine Coast and it's a large state.

 

NYC_SKP

(68,644 posts)
15. Texas is number two. Too bad they all wear those stupid Cowboy clothes!
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 10:17 AM
Sep 2014


Snark due to different, and silly, OP.

I love Texas and broadbrushing any state is silly.

lpbk2713

(42,696 posts)
18. Hear that Rick Scott?
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 10:26 AM
Sep 2014






Your smoke and mirrors bullshit will only take you so far.
Then it's time to face the facts.



jeff47

(26,549 posts)
19. Their ranking system appears to be almost entirely based on unemployment rate
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 10:34 AM
Sep 2014

with things like GDP being a minor factor. And poverty not a factor at all.

Not exactly a terribly good way to rank the states.

stillwaiting

(3,795 posts)
22. Completely agree.
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 12:20 PM
Sep 2014

And, if these wage averages are mean averages and not median results that "average" wage is highly misleading.

PasadenaTrudy

(3,998 posts)
20. Poor Jesse...
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 11:13 AM
Sep 2014

Funny that they show Jesse Pinkman in the NM caption. Breaking Bad has been good for ABQ's economy at least. Let's hope Better Call Saul hits it out of the park too next year.

KansDem

(28,498 posts)
23. A little off-topic but the photo used for Kansas is misleading...
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 01:39 PM
Sep 2014


This is photo of the Kansas City Chiefs. They are based in Missouri, not Kansas.

A more appropriate photo for Kansas:


dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
24. The article is misleading overall.
Tue Sep 9, 2014, 01:59 PM
Sep 2014

It is the county rates averaged out that make the state rate, so some counties in different states are really hurting.
The unemployment rate for my county in Ala. is as of July , 13.2%.
That is down from the 23$ of 2 years ago, tho.

As for states...Kentucky, Cal. and DC are 7.4%
Nevada, Michigan and Rhode Island are 7.7%
and Georgia is 7.8%

All of these are not that far from Miss. 8%.

You can find your own state or county here:
http://data.bls.gov/map/MapToolServlet?survey=la&map=state&seasonal=s


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