Per capita income picks up in western district states

After spending years toward the bottom of state per capita personal income rankings, Montana and the Dakotas are climbing the income ladder, thanks to strong economies. While the economic downturn has affected Montana and the Dakotas, these states have weathered the recession relatively well compared with the US. Minnesota and Wisconsin largely followed national trends during the economic downturn. While per capita income has climbed out of the basement in Montana and the Dakotas, this is not the first time these states have claimed relatively high levels of per capita income.