News Release

EMBARGOED UNTIL RELEASE AT 8:30 A.M. EDT, Tuesday, September 25, 2018
BEA 18-49

State Quarterly Personal Income, 2nd quarter 2018

State personal income increased 4.2 percent, at an annual rate, in the second quarter of 2018, a deceleration from the 5.0 percent increase in the first quarter, according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (table 1). The percent change in personal income across all states ranged from 6.0 percent in Texas to 1.6 percent in Washington.

Personal Income: Percent Change, 2018:Q1-2018:Q2

Increases in earnings, property income, and transfer receipts all contributed to growth in second quarter personal income (table 2).

Earnings. For the nation, earnings increased 4.5 percent in the second quarter of 2018, after increasing 5.1 percent in the first quarter, and increased in 21 of the 24 industries for which BEA prepares quarterly estimates (table 4). Earnings was the leading contributor to personal income growth in most states, including the four states with the fastest personal income growth — Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, and North Dakota.

  • Professional, scientific, and technical services was the leading contributor to the earnings increase in Texas (table 3).
  • Construction was the leading contributor to the earnings increase in Louisiana.
  • Health care and social assistance was the leading contributor to the earnings increase in Kentucky.
  • Mining was the leading contributor to the earnings increase in North Dakota.

Nationally, earnings increased fastest in farming and mining (chart 1). Although neither industry contributed more than 0.2 of a percentage point to personal income growth nationally; both industries were important contributors to growth in several states.

Earnings 2018:Q1-2018:Q2 (Percent Change)
  • Farm earnings contributed half a percentage point or more to increases in personal income in nine states — Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, Indiana, and Iowa.
  • Mining earnings contributed half a percentage point or more to increases in personal income in seven states — North Dakota, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Alaska, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Property income. Property Income increased 3.3 percent in the second quarter of 2018, after increasing 3.6 percent in the first. Growth rates ranged from 3.7 percent in Arkansas to 2.9 percent in the District of Columbia.

Transfer receipts. Transfer receipts increased 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2018, after increasing 6.6 percent in the first quarter. Growth rates ranged from 9.4 percent in Connecticut to -2.5 percent in the District of Columbia.

Comprehensive Update of State Personal Income

The estimates of 2018:Q2 personal income incorporate the results of BEA's comprehensive update of state personal income also released today. The update revised annual North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) estimates of state personal income for 1998 to 2017 and quarterly NAICS estimates for 1998:Q1 to 2018:Q1 (Table 5). The update also incorporates source data that are more complete and more detailed than previously available, updated seasonal factors, and the results of the July 2018 comprehensive update of the National Income and Product Accounts.

Revised Standard Industrial Classification annual state personal income estimates from 1929 to 2001, and quarterly estimates from 1948:Q1 to 2001:Q4 will be released in early 2019.

Today, BEA also released revised estimates of real state personal income for 2008 to 2016 that incorporate the results of the comprehensive update to state personal income.

Next release: December 20, 2018 at 8:30 A.M. EST
State Personal Income: Third Quarter 2018