State Economic Handbook 2008 Edition

Patrick L. AndersonisPrincipal and CEO ofAnderson Economic Group. Scott D. Watkins is Director of Marketing and Administration at the Anderson Economic Group.

"We find the data presented in this book to be very helpful in addressing public policy issues on behalf of our members' interests." - James Barrett, President and CEO, Michigan Chamber of Commerce"Having such a broad range of data assembled in one place makes The State Economic Handbook a resource that everyone in economic development can benefit from." - James L. Estep, President and CEO, West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation"The Michigan Houseof Representatives relied on this type of information from Anderson Economic Group to benchmark the economic and educational performance of all 50 states. This book gives lawmakers and government officials a clear understanding of how their state compares to its neighbors, important trends, and its competitive position." - Craig DeRoche, Former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives "Simply put, The State Economic Handbook provides a wealth of concise, easy-to-read data. It is a must-read for every business, labor and political leader." - James Hallan, President, Michigan Retailers Association

• Acknowledgments Introduction Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Ranking the States Total Population in Population Projections for Percent Foreign-Born Population, Median Age of Population in Unemployment Rate in Change in Per Capita Income from to Population Age + with Bachelors Degree of Higher State and Local Taxes Per Capita in – Participation of Citizens Age + Presidential Election About the Data Glossary of Terms Index