Today the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released 2009 local area personal income data. These county-level data are prepared annually to track income changes. Personal income, as defined by BEA, measures incomes of individuals from all sources including measures of certain assets and the value of health insurance. It differs from the “Money Income” concept used by the Census Bureau which only includees sources of “cash” income like wages and salary, interest, dividends, public assistance, etc.
The county is the smallest geographic level for which these estimates are prepared. This is another way in which they differ from Census estimates which are derived from the American Community Survey and are available for very small statistical units such as census tracts and block groups.
The full text of the release can be found at: http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/lapi/lapi_newsrelease.htm
See a map of the percent change in personal income for New York State counties here.
