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EMBARGOED UNTIL RELEASE: 8:30 A.M. EST, Thursday, November 14, 2019

BEA 19-60

Local Area Personal Income, 2018

In 2018, personal income increased in 3,019 counties, decreased in 91, and was unchanged in 3, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Personal income increased 5.7 percent in the metropolitan portion of the United States and increased 4.8 percent in the nonmetropolitan portion (Table A). In metropolitan counties, the percent change in personal income ranged from -3.2 percent in Lynn County, Texas to 17.5 percent in Midland County, Texas. In nonmetropolitan counties, it ranged from -20.8 percent in Sherman County, Texas, to 64.5 percent in Issaquena County, Mississippi (BEA interactive data).

Personal Income: Percent Change for Counties, 2017-2018

In the metropolitan portion of the United States, per capita personal income—personal income divided by population—increased 4.9 percent in 2018, up from 4.1 percent in 2017. In the nonmetropolitan portion of the United States, per capita personal income increased 4.7 percent, up from 3.3 percent. Table 1 presents estimates of per capita personal income by state and county.

Table A. per capita personal income and population change

The county personal income estimates released today provide more geographic detail on the nation's personal income for 2018. National estimates of personal income for 2018 were first released in February 2019, followed by preliminary state personal income estimates in March. The personal income estimates released today provide the first glimpse of personal income for 2018 in counties and metropolitan statistical areas. Real personal income for states, metropolitan areas, and state metropolitan and nonmetropolitan portions of the U.S. will be released on May 18, 2020.

Annual Update to Local Area Income

The estimates of 2018 local area personal income released today incorporate the results of BEA's annual update of local area personal income that was also released today. The annual estimates for 1998-2017 were revised. The update incorporates revised source data that are more complete and more detailed than previously available, the results of the July 2019 annual update of the National Income and Product Accounts, and the results of the September 2019 annual update of state personal income.

Today, BEA also released revised estimates of real personal income by metropolitan area for 2008 to 2017 that incorporate the results of the annual update to local area personal income.

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Next release: May 18, 2020 at 8:30 A.M. EDT — Real Personal Income for States and Metro Areas, 2018

Full Release & County Table (PDF)

County Table (Excel)

Metropolitan Area Table (Excel)

Highlights (PDF)

Interactive Tables

David Lenze

(301) 278-9292

reis@bea.gov

Jeff Newman

301-278-9265

Jeffrey.Newman@bea.gov

News Media

Jeannine Aversa

(301) 278-9003

Jeannine.Aversa@bea.gov

Resources

Stay informed about BEA developments by reading the BEA blog, signing up for BEA's email subscription service, or following BEA on Twitter @BEA_News.
Historical time series for these estimates can be accessed in BEA's Interactive Data Application.
Access BEA data by registering for BEA's Data Application Programming Interface (API).
For more on BEA's statistics, see our monthly online journal, the Survey of Current Business.
BEA's news release schedule.
BEA Regional Facts (BEARFACTS), a narrative summary of personal income, per capita personal income, and components of income for counties, metropolitan statistical areas, and states.
Complete information on the sources and methods for the estimation of BEA's Local Area Personal Income and Employment.

Definitions

Personal income is the income received by, or on behalf of, all persons from all sources: from participation as laborers in production, from owning a home or business, from the ownership of financial assets, and from government and business in the form of transfers. It includes income from domestic sources as well as the rest of world. It does not include realized or unrealized capital gains or losses.

Personal income is measured before the deduction of personal income taxes and other personal taxes and is reported in current dollars (no adjustment is made for price changes).

The estimate of personal income for the United States is the sum of the state estimates and the estimate for the District of Columbia; it differs slightly from the estimate of personal income in the national income and product accounts (NIPAs) because of differences in coverage, in the methodologies used to prepare the estimates, and in the timing of the availability of source data.

Per capita personal income is calculated as the total personal income of the residents of a given area divided by the population of the area. In computing per capita personal income, BEA uses Census Bureau mid-year population estimates.

Uses of the Local Area Personal Income Statistics

Local area personal income statistics provide a framework for analyzing current economic conditions in local economies and can serve as a basis for decision making. For example, they can be used:

in economic models to project tax revenues and the demand for public utilities and services,
to determine areas for locating, expanding, and closing businesses,
to analyze the economic impact of disasters, and
to determine whether an area has sufficient income to undertake and support specific projects and activities to encourage economic development.

List of News Release Tables

Table 1. Per Capita Personal Income by County, 2016 - 2018