Obama's America: Protected from the Decadence of Prosperity

According to the Wall Street Journal, health care reform isn't the only noteworthy success of the Obama administration this week- 42 out of 50 states reported that personal income actually DROPPED during Year 1 of the Obama administration. This is, no doubt, due to the focus Comrade Obama has on protecting our children from the scourge of prosperity and affluence. Now that's some change we can believe in.

Personal Income Drops Across the Country

Personal income in 42 states fell in 2009, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Real Time Economics

• Overview 2009: Income, Population, Jobs and Home Prices by State

Declining Incomes

View Interactive

How state personal income changed in 2009 from 2008.

Nevada's 4.8% plunge was the steepest, as construction and tourism industries took a beating. Also hit hard: Wyoming, where incomes fell 3.9%.

Incomes stayed flat in two states and rose in six and the District of Columbia. West Virginia had the best showing with a 2.1% increase. In Maine, Kentucky and Hawaii, increased government benefits, such as unemployment insurance and Social Security, offset drops in earnings and property values.

Nationally, personal income from wages, dividends, rent, retirement plans and government benefits declined 1.7% last year, unadjusted for inflation. One bright spot: As the economy recovered, personal income was up in all 50 states in the fourth quarter compared with the third. Connecticut, again, had the highest per capita income of the 50 states at $54,397 in 2009. Mississippi ranked lowest at $30,103.

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