How Much We Make
Table 1 shows average annual income for the state and by county, adjusted for inflation (using the national implicit GDP deflator). The general trend for the late 1990s is one of income growth, with the exception of Lafayette county which remained flat from 1998 to 2000. The other counties in 1997 were all very close in average incomes with Lafayette significantly below the rest, and all less than the state-wide average. By 1999, Jefferson incomes showed signs of outpacing those of the other counties maintaining 4% growth and getting close to the state-wide average. Walworth county showed significant income growth from 1999 to 2000 at over 6% becoming second only to Jefferson county in that year, and Green and Jefferson growing at the same rate as the state average at close to 3%. Rock county growth was only just above 1% in 2000, not much above the growth posted in 1999 and having lower incomes than all our other counties except Lafayette. Lafayette was the only county to show income declines in 2000. By 2001 however, the picture is virtually the opposite. Lafayette county incomes grew at nearly 6% that year though not nearly enough to have incomes similar to our other counties. Green and Jefferson county incomes show no growth in 2001, same as did the state-wide average, and Rock and Walworth counties showing income declines of over 2%. In 2002 incomes changed little. Rock county posted the highest growth though only just over 1% higher, and closed the gap with Walworth incomes which fell by just over 1%. Jefferson county continued to have the highest incomes in 2002 though they fell almost 1% compared to the year before. With Green and Lafayette counties showing no change, all our counties in South-Central Wisconsin on average fell behind the state-wide average in 2002.
In Table 2 we can see how our counties compared to the Wisconsin average. With ups and downs, only Jefferson and Lafayette counties managed to maintain their incomes at a steady share of the state-wide average over the period 1997 to 2002, at 95% and 75% respectively. Every other county fell behind, Green and Walworth counties relatively slightly while Rock county most failed to keep pace with the rest of Wisconsin. However, to the extent 2002 growth is any guide, only Rock county showed signs of turning that around and catching up.
