Hawaii per capita income rises

Hawaii's inflation rate slowed in 2007, and is expected to slow further this year. Now we're told that per capita income rose at a good clip last year.  Hawaii personal income rose 20% more than inflation last year, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Hawaii had a per capita income growth rate of 6% last year, tying for eighth place with Massachusetts and Iowa. Louisiana was first (9.2%) as it rebounded from Katrina, New York was second (7.6%), and Mississippi was third (6.7%) due to recovery from the hurricane. Connecticut (6.6%), North Dakota (6.4%), Wyoming (6.3%) and Utah (6.1%) also outperformed inflation. If you want to nyah-nyah someone, the lowest per capita income growth rates, below 4% and therefore well below inflation, belonged to, in increasing shallow-pocketedness, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Delaware, Tennessee and Arizona. Nationwide income grew 5.2%, btw. These are percentage rates of increase and have nothing to do with per capita incomes in actual dollars. Here are the states ranking highest for that:

1. Connecticut: $54,117.
2. New Jersey: $49,194.
3. Massachusetts: $49,082.
4. New York: $47.385.
5. Maryland: $46,082.
6. Wyoming: $43,226.
7. California: $41,571.
8. New Hampshire: $41,512.
9. Virginia: $41,347.
10. Colorado: $41,042.

Thank God for Small Favors Dept.: Hawaii didn't make bottom 10, either. Don't read too much into this, good or bad. Your personal income and inflation rate will never gibe precisely with the formulas the government uses.