50-STATE DEBT COMPARISONS


December 2, 2011		2011-R-0431
50-STATE DEBT COMPARISONS

By: Judith Lohman, Assistant Director

You asked for the most recent available comparison of state debt for Connecticut and the other states. This report updates our 2009 report on this topic (2009-R-0009).

The attached tables show each state's 2009 debt in two ways: per capita and as a percentage of personal income. For both measures, states are listed both alphabetically and ranked from highest to lowest.

The information in the tables is calculated from data published by the U.S. Census Bureau (state debt outstanding at the end of the 2009 fiscal year and 2010 state populations) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (state personal income for 2010).

TABLE 1: STATE PER-CAPITA DEBT, 2009

*STATE*	*PER CAPITA DEBT*
.Alabama	$1,076
.Alaska	9,287
.Arizona	1,928
.Arkansas	1,418
.California	3,612
.Colorado	3,421
.Connecticut	7,944
.Delaware	6,665
.Florida	2,086
.Georgia	1,389
.Hawaii	5,058
.Idaho	2,238
.Illinois	4,440
.Indiana	3,657
.Iowa	2,086
.Kansas	2,053
.Kentucky	3,080
.Louisiana	3,861
.Maine	4,063
.Maryland	4,066
.Massachusetts	11,393
.Michigan	2,994
.Minnesota	1,984
.Mississippi	2,092
.Missouri	3,209
.Montana	4,814
.Nebraska	1,378
.Nevada	1,646
.New Hampshire	6,390
.New Jersey	6,472
.New Mexico	3,886
.New York	6,329
.North Carolina	2,088
.North Dakota	2,606
.Ohio	2,423
.Oklahoma	2,627
.Oregon	3,261
.Pennsylvania	3,300
.Rhode Island	8,722
.South Carolina	3,311
.South Dakota	4,454
.Tennessee	764
.Texas	1,210
.Utah	2,268
.Vermont	5,476
.Virginia	2,460
.Washington	3,659
.West Virginia	3,509
.Wisconsin	3,677
.Wyoming	2,343

TABLE 2: STATE PER-CAPITA DEBT 2009, RANKED

*RANK*	*STATE*	*PER CAPITA DEBT*
1	.Massachusetts	$11,393
2	.Alaska	9,287
3	.Rhode Island	8,722
4	.Connecticut	7,944
5	.Delaware	6,665
6	.New Jersey	6,472
7	.New Hampshire	6,390
8	.New York	6,329
9	.Vermont	5,476
10	.Hawaii	5,058
11	.Montana	4,814
12	.South Dakota	4,454
13	.Illinois	4,440
14	.Maryland	4,066
15	.Maine	4,063
16	.New Mexico	3,886
17	.Louisiana	3,861
18	.Wisconsin	3,677
19	.Washington	3,659
20	.Indiana	3,657
21	.California	3,612
22	.West Virginia	3,509
23	.Colorado	3,421
24	.South Carolina	3,311
25	.Pennsylvania	3,300
26	.Oregon	3,261
27	.Missouri	3,209
28	.Kentucky	3,080
29	.Michigan	2,994
30	.Oklahoma	2,627
31	.North Dakota	2,606
32	.Virginia	2,460
33	.Ohio	2,423
34	.Wyoming	2,343
35	.Utah	2,268
36	.Idaho	2,238
37	.Mississippi	2,092
38	.North Carolina	2,088
39	.Florida	2,086
40	.Iowa	2,086
41	.Kansas	2,053
42	.Minnesota	1,984
43	.Arizona	1,928
44	.Nevada	1,646
45	.Arkansas	1,418
46	.Georgia	1,389
47	.Nebraska	1,378
48	.Texas	1,210
49	.Alabama	1,076
50	.Tennessee	764

TABLE 3: STATE DEBT AS A PERCENT OF

2010 PERSONAL INCOME

*STATE*	*% OF PERSONAL* *INCOME*
.Alabama	5.09
.Alaska	20.88
.Arizona	5.56
.Arkansas	4.33
.California	8.46
.Colorado	8.07
.Connecticut	14.46
.Delaware	16.77
.Florida	5.40
.Georgia	3.98
.Hawaii	12.11
.Idaho	6.98
.Illinois	10.55
.Indiana	10.73
.Iowa	5.47
.Kansas	5.25
.Kentucky	9.50
.Louisiana	10.41
.Maine	11.07
.Maryland	8.27
.Massachusetts	22.18
.Michigan	8.64
.Minnesota	4.63
.Mississippi	6.73
.Missouri	8.67
.Montana	13.71
.Nebraska	3.47
.Nevada	4.45
.New Hampshire	14.66
.New Jersey	12.63
.New Mexico	11.61
.New York	13.05
.North Carolina	5.95
.North Dakota	6.08
.Ohio	6.70
.Oklahoma	7.40
.Oregon	8.93
.Pennsylvania	8.12
.Rhode Island	20.71
.South Carolina	10.18
.South Dakota	11.22
.Tennessee	2.18
.Texas	3.20
.Utah	6.95
.Vermont	13.65
.Virginia	5.54
.Washington	8.57
.West Virginia	10.96
.Wisconsin	9.63
.Wyoming	5.22

TABLE 4: STATE DEBT AS A PERCENT OF

2010 PERSONAL INCOME, RANKED

*RANK*	*STATE*	*% OF PERSONAL* *INCOME*
1	.Massachusetts	22.18
2	.Alaska	20.88
3	.Rhode Island	20.71
4	.Delaware	16.77
5	.New Hampshire	14.66
6	.Connecticut	14.46
7	.Montana	13.71
8	.Vermont	13.65
9	.New York	13.05
10	.New Jersey	12.63
11	.Hawaii	12.11
12	.New Mexico	11.61
13	.South Dakota	11.22
14	.Maine	11.07
15	.West Virginia	10.96
16	.Indiana	10.73
17	.Illinois	10.55
18	.Louisiana	10.41
19	.South Carolina	10.18
20	.Wisconsin	9.63
21	.Kentucky	9.50
22	.Oregon	8.93
23	.Missouri	8.67
24	.Michigan	8.64
25	.Washington	8.57
26	.California	8.46
27	.Maryland	8.27
28	.Pennsylvania	8.12
29	.Colorado	8.07
30	.Oklahoma	7.40
31	.Idaho	6.98
32	.Utah	6.95
33	.Mississippi	6.73
34	.Ohio	6.70
35	.North Dakota	6.08
36	.North Carolina	5.95
37	.Arizona	5.56
38	.Virginia	5.54
39	.Iowa	5.47
40	.Florida	5.40
41	.Kansas	5.25
42	.Wyoming	5.22
43	.Alabama	5.09
44	.Minnesota	4.63
45	.Nevada	4.45
46	.Arkansas	4.33
47	.Georgia	3.98
48	.Nebraska	3.47
49	.Texas	3.20
50	.Tennessee	2.18

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