According to a study featured in the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's 2005 Annual Report, differences in state income levels can be explained largely by two factors: innovation and workforce skills. The study's findings suggest that increasing a region's knowledge base should be a primary...

Even as per capita income has increased across the United States, differences among states’ incomes remain. What are the sources of these remaining differences? This Commentary identifies and analyzes the key factors—patents, educational attainment, and industry structure—that influence...

Real average U.S. per capita personal income growth over the last 65 years exceeded a remarkable 400 percent. Also notable over this period is that the stark income differences across states have narrowed considerably: In 1939 the highest income state’s per capita personal income was 4.5 times...