The chart above shows the per capita annualized nominal gross domestic product (GDP) in each US region as of the first quarter of 2021 in dollars, the change from five years ago, and the per capita GDP ten years prior. Every single region's economy grew both over the past five and past ten years.
Findings
- The difference between the region with the largest per capita GDP, the West, and the region with the smallest, the South, is $17,289.83 (up from $16,627.36 five years ago and up from $13,214.33 ten years ago). The Northeast and the South had the largest and smallest per capita GDP respectively five years ago and ten years ago.
- The West has 1.27 times the per capita GDP that the South does. The ratio of largest per capita GDP to smallest per capita GDP was down from 1.32 from five years ago and down from 1.30 ten years ago.
- Of the four regions, 4 had a per capita GDP rise in current dollars over the past five years while 0 had a per capita GDP drop.
- Of the four regions, 4 had a per capita GDP rise in current dollars over the past ten years while 0 had a per capita GDP drop.
Caveats
- GDP data is from the first quarters of 2011, 2016, and 2021.
- Census data is from 2000 and 2010.
- The data is seasonally adjusted in current dollars.
- Growth rates may differ from those provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis as the BEA's growth rates are based on chained dollars in conjunction with the chain index or the quality index for real GDP.
- All figures are rounded to the nearest hundredth.
- The Midwestern US consists of Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
- The Northeastern US consists of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
- The Southern US consists of Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia.
- The Western US consists of California, Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Hawaii, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming.
Details
In absolute terms, the Midwest had the worst performance over the past five years with a growth of $8,850.00. The West had the best performance with a gain of $16,193.50. Over the past ten years, the Midwest had the worst performance with a gain of $17,677.73 while the West had the best performance with a gain of $29,404.46.
In relative terms, the Northeast had the worst performance over the past five years with a 14.92% rise in per capita GDP while the West had the best performance with a 25.18% rise in per capita GDP. Over the past ten years, the Midwest had the worst performance with a 38.00% rise in per capita GDP while the West had the best performance with a 57.56% rise in per capita GDP.
There were 0 regions with a per capita GDP of over $60,000 ten years ago, 2 regions five years ago, and 4 regions now. On the flip side, there were 2 regions with a per capita GDP of less than $50,000 ten years ago, 0 regions five years ago, and 0 regions now.
The Midwest and the South each have a lower per capita GDP now than the Northeast and the West did five years ago.
Sources
US Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2021. "GDP by State." Accessed August 25, 2021. https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state.
United States Census Bureau. September 2012. "United States Summary: 2010: Population and Housing Unit Counts." Accessed January 23, 2018. https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-1.pdf.