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Here's how every state's economy is doing in 2019, ranked from worst to best
Here's how every state's economy is doing in 2019, ranked from worst to best
Andy KierszAug 3, 2019, 19:00 IST
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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The US economy continues chugging along.
For most Americans, local economic conditions are at least as important as the national picture.
To get a snapshot of how the smaller economies that together make up the national jigsaw are doing, Business Insider ranked the 50 states (and DC) on six economic measures.
But for most Americans, the local economic situation is just as important as the overall national economy. Here's a look at how the economies in each of the 50 states and DC are doing right now.
Business Insider combined six measures of labor-market and general economic health for all the states and the District of Columbia: the unemployment rate, job growth, per-capita GDP, GDP growth, average weekly wages, and wage growth. By putting all those on a common scale and combining them, we came up with an overall score for each state's economy.
Overall, most states are doing pretty well. Similar to the nation as a whole, unemployment rates tend to be fairly low, and GDP and wage growth are fairly strong across the board.
As in previous versions of our ranking, Washington, DC, came out on top. The Mountain West made a very strong showing as well, with Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado all scoring very highly on our measures.
Here's how the economy of each state and DC is doing right now:
51. Mississippi's per capita GDP of $39,037 and average weekly wage of $729 were the lowest among the 50 states and DC, while its unemployment rate of 5.0% was the third highest.
50. Michigan's job growth rate of 0.4% was the seventh lowest in the country and its unemployment rate of 4.2% was tied for tenth highest.
49. Maryland's GDP growth rate of 1.8% was the third lowest among the states and DC, and its job growth rate of 0.1% was the second lowest.
48. Rhode Island's wage growth rate of 1.0% was the lowest in the country, and its GDP growth rate of 2.2% was the sixth lowest.
47. Kentucky's per capita GDP of $47,738 was the eighth lowest among the states and DC, and its average weekly wage of $806 was the sixth lowest.
46. Louisiana's unemployment rate of 4.3% was tied for eighth highest in the country. Louisiana was the only state with negative job growth between June 2018 and June 2019, with a decline of 0.1% in non-farm payroll jobs.
45. North Carolina's unemployment rate of 4.1% was tied for twelfth highest in the country, and its average weekly wage growth rate of 1.9% was the fourth lowest.
44. Pennsylvania's wage growth rate of 2.3% was the sixth lowest in the country. Its GDP per capita of $63,193 was very close to the average of $63,182 among the states and DC.
43. Ohio's wage growth rate of 2.5% between June 2018 and June 2019 was the eighth lowest among the states and DC, and its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 0.5% over that same year was the ninth lowest.
42. Wisconsin's unemployment rate of 2.9% was tied for eighth lowest in the country, but its wage growth rate of 1.4% between June 2018 and June 2019 was the second worst.
41. Maine's GDP per capita of $49,329 was the tenth lowest among the states and DC, while its average weekly wage of $841 was eighth lowest.
40. Alaska's GDP growth rate of 3.9% was tied for sixth best in the country, but its unemployment rate of 6.4% was the worst among the states and DC.
39. Hawaii's GDP growth rate of 1.2% was the lowest among the states and DC, but its unemployment rate of 2.8% was tied for fifth best.
38. Montana's GDP per capita of $47,103 and its average weekly wage of $826 were both the seventh lowest among the states and DC.
37. South Carolina's average weekly wage of $850 was the ninth lowest in the country, and its per-capita GDP of $46,567 was the sixth lowest.
36. Missouri's GDP growth rate of 2.3% was tied for eighth lowest in the country. Its unemployment rate of 3.3% was lower than the average rate of 3.6% among the states and DC.
35. Arkansas' wage growth rate of 7.4% between June 2018 and June 2019 was the sixth highest among the states and DC, while its per capita GDP of $43,400 was the second lowest.
34. Iowa's unemployment rate of 2.4% was the third best in the country, but its GDP growth rate of 2.3% was tied for eighth lowest.
33. Tennessee's GDP growth rate of 2.4% was the tenth lowest in the country, but its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 1.7% between June 2018 and June 2019 was above the average rate among the states and DC of 1.3%
32. Indiana's unemployment rate of 3.5% was a bit better than the average rate among the states and DC of 3.6%, while its per capita GDP of $55,988 was a bit lower than the average of $63,182.
31. Georgia's wage growth rate of 2.1% was the fifth lowest in the country, but its GDP growth rate of 3.1% was a little higher than the average rate of 3.0% among the states and DC.
30. Idaho's job growth rate of 2.3% between June 2018 and June 2019 was the eighth highest in the country, but its per capita GDP of $45,320 was the fourth lowest.
29. New Hampshire's unemployment rate of 2.5% was the fourth best among the states and DC, but its wage growth rate of 1.6% between June 2018 and June 2019 was the third worst.
28. Connecticut's per capita GDP of $78,933 and average weekly wage of $1,111 were both the fifth highest in the country.
27. New Jersey's average weekly wage of $1,039 was the seventh highest in the country but its GDP growth rate of 1.8% was tied for third lowest.
26. Vermont's unemployment rate of 2.1% was the lowest among the states and DC, but its wage growth rate of 2.8% between June 2018 and June 2019 was the ninth worst.
25. Alabama's per capita GDP of $46,366 was the fifth lowest among the states and DC, but its job growth rate of 1.9% was higher than the average rate of 1.3%.
24. Minnesota's average weekly wage of $1,032 was the ninth highest in the country, but its non-farm payroll job growth rate of 0.3% between June 2018 and June 2019 was the fifth lowest.
23. Illinois' unemployment rate of 4.3% was tied for eighth highest in the country, but its per capita GDP of $69,714 was above the average of $63,182 among the states and DC.
22. New Mexico's GDP growth rate of 4.6% was the third highest among the states and DC, but its average weekly wage of $778 was the second lowest.
21. Florida's job growth rate of 2.5% was the seventh highest in the country, but its per capita GDP of $50,362 was below the average of $63,182 among the states and DC.
20. Nebraska's job growth rate of 0.5% was the tenth lowest in the country, but its unemployment rate of 3.0% was below the average rate among the states and DC of 3.6%.
19. Arizona's job growth rate of 2.8% was the second best in the country, but its unemployment rate of 4.9% was tied for fourth worst.
18. Kansas' wage growth rate of 8.0% was the fifth best in the country, an its GDP growth rate of 3.1% was a bit above the average rate of 3.0% among the states and DC.
17. Oklahoma's GDP growth rate of 3.9% was tied for sixth highest in the country, and the state's wage growth rate of 6.7% was ninth highest.
16. Oregon's job growth rate of 1.9% was the twelfth highest in the country, but its unemployment rate of 4.1% was higher than the average rate among the states and DC of 3.6%.
15. Virginia's unemployment rate of 2.9% was tied for eighth lowest in the country, and its average weekly wage of $1,026 was the eleventh highest.
14. West Virginia's GDP growth rate of 5.2% was the best in the country, but its unemployment rate of 4.7% was the sixth worst.
13. Delaware's per capita GDP of $79,700 was the fourth highest in the country, and its GDP growth rate of 3.9% was the sixth highest.
12. South Dakota's job growth rate of 2.6% was the fifth highest among the states and DC, and its unemployment rate of 2.9% was tied for eighth lowest.
11. Massachusetts' per capita GDP of $84,281 and average weekly wage of $1,136 were both the third highest in the country.
10. New York's per capita GDP of $88,055 was the second highest in the country, and its average weekly wage of $1,068 was the sixth highest.
9. California's average weekly wage of $1,131 was the fourth best among the states and DC, but its unemployment rate of 4.2% was tied for tenth worst.
8. North Dakota's GDP growth rate of 3.9% was tied for sixth highest in the country, and its unemployment rate of 2.3% was the second lowest.
7. Wyoming's wage growth rate of 8.7% was the second highest among the states and DC, and its job growth rate of 2.0% was the ninth highest.
6. Washington's job growth rate of 2.7% was the third highest in the country, and its average weekly wage of $1,192 was the second highest.
5. Texas' GDP growth rate of 5.1% was the second highest in the country, and its job growth rate of 2.5% was the sixth highest.
4. Nevada's job growth rate of 3.3% was the highest among the states and DC, and its GDP growth rate of 4.0% was the fifth highest.
3. Colorado's average weekly wage of $1,037 was the eighth highest in the country, and its job growth rate of 1.9% was the tenth highest.
2. Utah's GDP growth rate of 4.2% was the fourth highest in the country, and its unemployment rate of 2.8% was tied for fifth lowest.
1. DC's per capita GDP of $205,068 and average weekly wage of $1,683 were by far the highest in the country, but its unemployment rate of 5.6% was the second worst.
