50) Mississippi (Republican) --
- The unemployment rate in July was at 8.0%, the highest in the country.
- Gross Domestic Product per capita was just $32,421 in 2013, the lowest among the states.
- Mississippi came in last in personal consumption, the largest component of GDP, with just $27,406 per person.
- Average annual wages were the lowest in the country, at $36,451.
49) New Mexico (Republican)
- The average annual wage in New Mexico was somewhat low, at $40,804.
- New Mexico's state government finances were in bad shape, with a 2012 deficit of $1.8 billion, which, on a per-capita basis, is the fourth-worst in the country.
- International exports made up a much smaller part of New Mexico's economy than for other states, with just $1,307 of exports per capita in 2013.
48) Arkansas (Democrat at time of publication)
- Average annual wages were only $38,927 in 2013.
- Personal consumption expenditures were the second-lowest in the country at $28,366.
- GDP per capita as a whole was just $39,111.
47) Maine (Republican)
- Maine was one of 13 states to lose payroll jobs in July 2014, dropping 900 nonfarm payrolls.
- Maine had a low GDP per capita, at $38,517.
- Average wages were also somewhat low, at $39,282.
46) South Carolina (Republican)
- South Carolina lost 4,600 nonfarm payroll jobs in July, the third-worst loss in the country.
- Gross Domestic Product per capita was just $30,728, also the third-lowest.
- The average annual wage was $39,800.
45) West Virginia (Democrat)
- West Virginia lost 2,900 jobs in July.
- Personal consumption per capita was just $30,642.
- Gross Domestic Product per capita as a whole was low, at $36,963.
44) Kentucky (Democrat)
- Kentucky's 7.4% unemployment rate is still quite a bit higher than the rates of other states.
- The state's financial situation was suboptimal, with expenses exceeding revenues by about $6.7 billion in 2012.
- On the brighter side, exports per capita were among the best in the country at $5,771 per person, fueled by civilian aircraft and auto sales.
43) Nevada (Republican)
- Nevada's unemployment rate of 7.7% is among the highest in the nation.
- Personal consumption, at $29,514 per capita, is quite a bit lower than in most other states.
- Despite this, Nevada's state finances were quite good, with a $305 per capita surplus in 2012.
42) Idaho (Republican)
- Gross Domestic Product per capita was just $35,375, the second-lowest among the states.
- Idaho's workers earn on average $36,859, also the second-lowest in the country.
- On the other hand, Idaho's unemployment rate of 4.8% is much lower than average.
41) Hawaii (Democrat)
- Hawaii had the smallest value of exports per capita in the country, at just $426 per person.
- Personal consumption per capita was also quite low, at $30,160.
- However, Hawaii also had one of the lowest unemployment rates among the states, at just 4.4%.
40) Florida (Republican)
- Florida had a low GDP per capita of $38,384, much lower than the national figure of $49,642.
- Florida lost 1,600 jobs in July, one of only 13 states to have negative job growth that month.
39) Georgia (Republican)
- Georgians spent $31,219 per capita on personal consumption in 2012, somewhat below the national figure of $33,253.
- Georgia's unemployment rate of 7.8% was the second-highest in the country.
- However, the other big indicator for labor market health looks somewhat better. Georgia added 9,500 jobs in July.
38) Oklahoma (Republican)
- Oklahoma's economy is less driven by exports than those in other states, with just $1,797 in exports per capita.
- While Oklahoma lost 1,100 nonfarm payroll jobs in July, its unemployment rate stays very low at 4.6%.
37) Alabama (Republican)
- Per-capita consumption was on the low end of the spectrum at $29,537.
- Overall GDP per capita was also low, at only $37,389, well below the national per-capita GDP of $49,642.
- Alabama also had a higher-than-average unemployment rate of 7.0%.
36) Rhode Island (Republican turned Independent turned
Democrat governor at time of publication. ...Chafee is a weird dude.)
- Rhode Island's 7.7% unemployment rate is among the worst in the country.
- Exports from Rhode Island are also soft, with just $2,057 per capita.
35) Ohio (Republican)
- Ohio had mostly middle-of-the-road rankings. The July unemployment rate was 5.7%, a little below the national rate of 6.2%.
- Similarly, average annual wages were in the middle of the pack at $44,667, not too far below the national average of $49,804.
- However, what held Ohio back was the July jobs report: Ohio lost 12,400 jobs in July, the worst performance in the country.
34) Tennessee (Republican)
- Tennessee's unemployment rate was 7.1% in July, eighth-highest among the states.
- Per-capita personal consumption was a bit lower than average at $31,417.
- On the bright side, exports per capita were at $4,975, higher than average among the states.
33) Indiana (Republican)
- Indiana was one of the handful of states that lost jobs in July, losing 600 nonfarm payrolls.
- Despite that, Indiana's unemployment rate of 5.9% was pretty close to the national rate of 6.2%.
- Indiana's exports per capita of $5,199 were higher than for most states, with pharmaceuticals being the biggest export by value from the state.
32) Arizona (Republican)
- Gross Domestic Product per capita in Arizona was somewhat lower than in other states, at $39,526.
- The unemployment rate stayed higher than elsewhere at 7.0%.
- However, Arizona added 13,900 jobs in July, sixth-best in the country.
31) Pennsylvania (Republican at time of publication)
- Pennsylvania lost 700 jobs in July, one of 13 states to do so.
- Pennsylvania's state finances were worse than elsewhere, with the state running an $8.8 billion deficit in 2012.
- Pennsylvania's average annual wage of $49,070 was just shy of the national average $49,804 and was higher than in most other states.
30) Missouri (Democrat)
- Per-capita gross domestic product was $42,708, a bit below the national per-capita GDP of $49,642.
- Missouri's unemployment rate of 6.5% is very much in the middle of the states, and just a bit higher than the national rate of 6.2%.
- Missouri saw strong job creation in July, adding 13,200 nonfarm payroll jobs.
28a) Montana (Democrat)
- Average annual wages were just $37,575, the fourth-lowest in the country.
- Similarly, per-capita Gross Domestic Product was $39,250, well below the $49,642 per-capita GDP of the United States as a whole.
- One bright spot is state finances. In 2012, Montana's government had a $665 million surplus.
28b) Maryland (Democrat at time of publication)
- Maryland's mean annual wage was $54,055, sixth best among the states.
- Personal consumption was strong, at $40,980 per capita.
- However, Maryland lost 9,000 jobs in July, and the state government spent $5 billion more than it took in as revenue.
27) South Dakota (Republican)
- South Dakota's July unemployment rate was down to 3.7%, the fourth-lowest among the states.
- However, average annual wages in South Dakota were lower than in other states at $37,226.
26) Oregon (Democrat)
- Oregon's GDP per capita was a solid $53,750 in 2013.
- Unfortunately, Oregon's unemployment rate was 6.9%, higher than that of most other states.
- Oregon's per-capita personal consumption expenditures of $35,762 was close to the national figure of $33,253.
25) Kansas (Republican)
- Kansas' average annual wage was $41,546.
- The unemployment rate was 4.9%, one of the lower numbers across the nation.
- And the GDP per capita was $45,665.
23a) North Carolina (Republican)
- North Carolina added 15,800 jobs in July 2014 — the fifth-highest in the nation.
- The 2013 average annual wage was $43,789.
- Unemployment was at 6.5%.
23b) Wisconsin (Republican)
- Wisconsin's unemployment rate was 5.8%.
- The state added 2,900 jobs in July.
- The average annual wage is $42,775.
22) Utah (Republican)
- Utah's unemployment rate was 3.6%, the second-best in the nation.
- The average annual wage was $41,786.
- The state was highly ranked for exports, which nearly $5,554 per capita.
21) Colorado (Democrat)
- Colorado's unemployment was at 5.3%.
- The average annual wage was at $50,864.
- The GDP per capita was at $51,955.6.
20) Nebraska (Republican)
- Nebraska has an unemployment rate of 3.6% — the second-lowest in the nation (tied with Utah).
- Average annual wage was $39,968.
- However, 500 jobs were lost in July.
19) Louisiana (Republican)
- Louisiana led the states in exports with $13,696 per capita.
- Unemployment was at 5.4%.
- And the 2013 GDP per capita was $47,996.85.
18) Iowa (Republican)
- Iowa's unemployment rate was at 4.5%.
- And the 2013 average annual wage was $41,103.
- The GDP per capita was at $48,702.
17) Michigan (Republican)
- Michigan's unemployment was a 7.7% — among the highest in the nation.
- But the state added 17,900 jobs in July.
- The average annual wage was $47,119.
16) Minnesota (Democrat)
- Minnesota had a low unemployment rate at 4.5%.
- The average annual wage was relatively high at $50,115.
- But July saw a drop in 4,200 jobs.
15) Virginia (Democrat)
- The state saw an unemployment rate of 5.4%.
- The state added 13,300 jobs in July.
- And the average annual wage was at $51,923.
14) New Hampshire (Democrat)
- New Hampshire's unemployment rate was 4.4%.
- The average annual wage was $48,969.
- And the GDP per capita was $48,447.
13) New Jersey (Republican)
- New Jersey had the fourth-highest wages overall with $59,451 as the average annual wage of 2013.
- The state added 5,700 jobs in July.
- And unemployment stood at 6.5%.
12) Illinois (Democrat at time of publication)
- Illinois had a relatively high unemployment rate of 6.8%.
- But it added 10,300 jobs in July.
- The average annual wage was at $52,588.
11) California (Democrat)
- California added 27,700 jobs in July — the second-highest number in the nation.
- However, its unemployment rate was also high, at 7.4%.
- The average annual wage for a Californian in 2013 was $57,121.
10) Wyoming (Republican)
- Unemployment was low at 4.4%, and the average annual wage was at $44,977.
- The GDP/capita was the third-highest in the nation at $67,858.
- 200 jobs were added in July.
9) Vermont (Democrat)
- Vermont has a low unemployment rate of 3.7% and an average annual wage of $42,050.
- Vermont added 1,100 jobs in July.
- And had the fourth-highest number for exports with $6,425 per capita.
8) Delaware (Democrat)
- The 2013 average annual wage at Delaware was $52,103.
- The unemployment rate was 6.2%.
- And the state added 1,500 jobs in July.
7) Connecticut (Democrat)
- The state had the second-highest average annual wage at $62,283.
- Connecticut also had a high GDP per capita at $65,070.
- However, unemployment was relatively high at 6.6%.
6) Massachusetts (Democrat at time of publication)
- Massachusetts was No. 1 in per capita consumption at $47,305.
- Additionally, the state had the third-highest average annual wage at $61,794.
- Massachusetts added 13,800 jobs in July.
5) Washington (Democrat)
- Washington's unemployment rate is 5.6%.
- The average annual wage is at $53,009.
- The state added 7,300 jobs in July.
4) Alaska (Republican at time of publication)
- Alaska had the highest GDP per capita at $70,113.
- The annual wage was relatively high at $51,568.
- But the state lost 400 jobs in July.
3) New York (Democrat)
- New York had the highest average annual wages in the nation at $63,085.
- The state added 15,900 jobs in July.
- The unemployment rate was at 6.6%.
2) Texas (Republican)
- Texas added the most jobs — 46,600.
- The average annual wage was relatively high at $51,187.
- Exports were also high at $10,567 per capita.
1) North Dakota (Republican)
- North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.8%.
- The state had the second-highest rate of GDP per capita at $68,804.
- The average annual wage was $47,779.