Pierce County ranks No. 7 in personal income

Personal income in Pierce County grew about 5 percent between 2013 and 2014, according to new data from the federal Department of Commerce, ranking the county No. 7 in the state.

Pierce County’s “per capita personal income” — a measurement that averages out income rates so they’re easily comparable — was $43,613 in 2014, the most recent year data was available.

As expected, King County is ranked first in per capita personal income, at $68,877. Thurston County is No. 10, at $42,994. Last of Washington’s 39 counties is Ferry, at $30,680.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis released the data this week. The BEA defines personal income as the money people receive from all sources: wages, home or business ownership, investments and entitlement payments. It’s what people use to buy things, pay taxes and save.

The agency reported that nationally, personal income was up in almost every county, and grew more in urban areas than in rural ones. In Washington state overall, personal income per capita went up 4.5 percent to $49,610. That’s higher than the national average of $46,049.

Of the more than 3,000 counties in the United States, the percent change in personal income ranged from a 35.1 percent decrease in Wallace County, Kansas to 83.7 percent increase in McPherson County, Nebraska.

Read the report and find all the data here.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Pierce County ranks No. 7 in personal income."