Regional Economic Accounts: About Regional

Overview of the Regional Program

The regional economic accounts tell us about the geographic distribution of U.S. economic activity and growth. The estimates of gross domestic product by state and state and local area personal income, and the accompanying detail, provide a consistent framework for analyzing and comparing individual state and local area economies.

• For detailed information on Data Availability, see Regional Data Table Availability.

Uses of the Regional Program Estimates

• The Federal government uses regional income and product estimates to distribute funds to states:
  • BEA Regional Income & Product Account Estimates Used to Distribute $499.8 Billion in Federal Funds, FY2018 PDF | May 2019
  • FY2018 Federal Funds Distribution Using BEA Regional Income & Product Account Statistics PDF | May 2019
  • Federal Uses of BEA Regional Statistics, FY 2018 PDF | May 2019
• Twenty-six states have set constitutional or statutory limits on state government revenues or spending that are tied to BEA state personal income or one of its components PDF | September 2016
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) produces statistics for coastal areas, utilizing BEA regional statistics.
• Academic researchers use the estimates for applied economic research.
• Businesses, trade associations, and labor organizations use the estimates for market research.