NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota
State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
June 4, 1998
North Dakota's per capita income grew, on average, 5.1 percent annually from 1990 to 1996. That growth rate compares to the national annual average of 4.1 percent. Meanwhile, inflation rose by about 3 percent a year, reports the recent "Population Bulletin," published by the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.
"This is good news for North Dakota because we are beginning to gain back some of the relative income losses we suffered during the 1980s," says Richard Rathge, director of the center. "In 1982, we ranked 31st in the nation in per capita income but dropped to 49th by 1988, largely because of the farm crisis. Now we are struggling back."
In 1996 North Dakota's per capita personal income level stood at $20,479, an amount that placed the state 38th in the nation and was 84 percent of the national average of $24,436. North Dakota's per capita income rose 34 percent from its 1990 level of $15,281. Inflation rose 20 percent from 1990 to 1996, so after adjusting for inflation, North Dakota's real per capita income rose 11.6 percent during the period.
Counties with the highest per capita income in 1996 were Sargent ($26,553), Pembina ($24,920), Cass ($24,133) and Wells ($23,196). The two counties with the lowest per capita incomes were Sioux and Billings, both at less than $10,000. Two of North Dakota's 53 counties showed declines in per capita income from 1990 to 1996. Eight counties had an increase in per capita income less than 20 percent (inflation rate) and thus the per capita income, adjusted for inflation, actually declined in these counties. More than 83 percent of the 53 counties had increases in per capita incomes that exceeded inflation.
North Dakota had a total personal income of $13.1 billion in 1996, an amount which ranked 49th among personal income totals for all states and accounted for 0.2 percent of the national total.
In 1996, 52 percent of total personal income in North Dakota was concentrated in four counties: Cass, Burleigh, Grand Forks and Ward. Three counties had losses in total personal income from 1990 to 1996, and 17 counties had increases of less than 20 percent, which did not keep pace with inflation.
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Source: Karen Olson (701) 231-1060
Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
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