TOPEKA, Kan. — According to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, growth in the market value of goods and services produced in Kansas from July to September was the highest in the country, increasing by 9.7% during those three months.
During the third quarter, all 50 states and the District of Columbia increased real GDP, but Kansas surpassed the rest of the country. In comparison, Missouri’s GDP increased by 4%, while rates in the three adjacent states increased by 5.8% in Colorado, 6% in Oklahoma, and 7.5% in Nebraska. Arkansas had the lowest level of growth in the quarter, at 0.7%.
“This data shows that our efforts to support businesses, create a stable economy, and grow our workforce are paying off,” said Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat working with the Republican-controlled Legislature on economic development concerns.
Kansas experienced a 7.4% increase in real GDP from April to June, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In that quarter, 44 states and the District of Columbia were positive, ranging from a positive 8.7% in Wyoming to a negative 1.4% in Vermont.
During the second quarter, the border states to Kansas had both gains and losses in real GDP. Nebraska had 5.9% growth, Oklahoma had 4.5%, and Colorado had 2.6%. Missouri fell to a negative 0.1%.
Nebraska led the five-state region in real GDP growth in the first quarter of 2023, with 12.3% from January to March. Kansas had 6%, Missouri had 2.6%, Oklahoma had 2.5%, and Colorado had 1.9%. Each state and the District of Columbia grew in the first quarter, with North Dakota leading the way with a positive 12.4% and Rhode Island and Alabama trailing with a positive 0.1%.
“Now, Kansas is outstripping the entire nation in economic growth and attracting business investment,” Kelly said in a statement on Wednesday. “It’s clear we have the momentum to continue this trajectory of economic success into 2024 and beyond.”
Meanwhile, Kansas had the third-highest personal income growth rate in the third quarter, at 4.9%. Agricultural income contributed to the state’s increase in personal income during the time.