Metro area shows slower per capita personal income growth

HUNTINGTON -- The Huntington-Ashland-Ironton metro area showed slower per capita personal income growth in 2007, typical of most metropolitan statistical areas across the U.S.

Per capital personal income was for the Tri-State MSA was $27,145 in 2006 and grew to $28,676 in 2007, according to figures released Thursday by the Commerce Department's U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. But the growth rate dropped from 5.8 percent in 2006 to 5.6 percent in 2007.

Nationally, per capita income was $38,632, with a growth rate was 6.2 percent, down from 6.8 percent in 2006. The Huntington-Ashland-Ironton area ranks 313th among the nation's 363 metro areas.

The Charleston, W.Va., MSA had a per capita income of $34,706, up from $33,010 in 2006, ranking 147th nationally. But the growth rate was slower as well dropping from 6.6 percent in 2006 to 5.1 in 2007.

Across the U.S., per capita income growth last year ranged from 17 percent at Pascagoula, Miss., to minus 0.5 percent in Palm Coast, Fla. Pascagoula's growth was spurred in part by shipbuilding and Katrina hurricane home-building aid that counts as part of personal income.