West Virginia enjoyed the highest economic growth rate of any U.S. state this year, according to a study from GOBankingRates, a personal finance website. To identify the year’s strongest state economies, GOBankingRates analyzed GDP and personal income growth rates, as well as measuring decreases in the jobless rates. Here's how the top five markets shook out:
THE FIVE STRONGEST STATE ECONOMIES IN 2017
1. WEST VIRGINIA
GDP growth: 6.84 percent
Personal income increase: 2.75 percent
Unemployment rate decrease: 1.3 percentage points
West Virginia has 19.7 square feet of retail GLA per resident, according to ICSC
2. NEVADA
GDP growth: 6.38 percent
Personal income increase: 2.39 percent
Unemployment rate decrease: 1.2 percentage points
Nevada has 34.4 square feet of retail GLA per resident, according to ICSC
3. CALIFORNIA
GDP growth: 4.9 percent
Personal income increase: 3.4 percent
Unemployment rate decrease: 0.7 percentage points
In California, residents have 23.2 square feet of retail space per capita
4. PENNSYLVANIA
GDP growth: 5.34 percent
Personal income increase: 3.14 percent
Unemployment rate decrease: 0.6 percentage points
Pennsylvania is home to 23.1 square feet of retail space per resident, says ICSC
5. INDIANA
GDP growth: 3.55 percent
Personal income increase: 3.9 percent
Unemployment rate decrease: 0.8 percentage points
Indiana is home to 24.6 square feet of retail GLA per resident, according to ICSC
By Brannon Boswell
Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today
