Newly released data shows Marion County again had one of Mississippi’s highest growth rates for personal income in 2018.
Average dollars earned per person here increased to $34,526 in 2018 from $32,880 in 2017, according to numbers the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis published Thursday.
That 5 percent jump placed Marion County 10th among Mississippi’s 82 counties in income growth. Marion had been first in 2017 when incomes increased by 10.7 percent.
“Having continued strong increases bodes well for both the city and county,” Lori Watts, president of the Marion County Development Partnership, said in an email Thursday. “With increases in personal income, one would expect to start seeing increases in other areas, such as construction and retail sales, which help to fuel the upward spiral of economic activity that we hope to experience. In recent months we have seen increases in sales tax receipts that would indicate that some of this upward momentum may be building.”
Watts said her first thought about the causes of the increase are because of the “great primary companies, both large and small, that we have in Marion County and their strength.” Those businesses bring in new money from outside the county, like manufacturers, warehousers and distributors, and some construction, services and processing firms.
“As they grow, we see increases in employment and wages. So, we can thank our businesses every day for the investment they make in payroll and other expenditures, which make our economy continue to churn,” she said.
Also, Watts said Marion County is proud to again boast of six companies with home offices in Marion County listed among the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 100 Mississippi Companies. The newest list came out last week and includes Southern Tire Mart (No. 5), Yak Access (No. 20), Deepwell Energy Services (No. 26), T.L. Wallace Construction (No. 75), Deepwell Rental (No. 90) and Forest Products Transports (No. 93).
“These strong companies and so many smaller ones invest in our community every day by providing jobs for our residents,” she said. “We also have to mention the economic strength and gains we are seeing throughout the Pine Belt Region from which our county benefits, as well as the increase in construction and retail activity in the downtown area as contributing factors.”
The county-level numbers reflect a strong national economy in 2018. Out of 3,113 counties in the U.S., 3,019 (97 percent) saw increases in personal income. The average American per capita income grew 4.9 percent in 2018 to $54,446.
Marion County’s overall income level is right in the middle of the state: 41st out of 82 counties.
The state average per capita income is $37,834. Madison ranked first by a large margin at $64,033, followed by Rankin at $44,661. Lamar County was sixth at $40,529.
The five lowest counties were all from the Delta with tiny Issaquena County bringing up the rear at $18,541. However, Issaquena actually had the highest growth rate of any county in the nation as it increased 64.5 percent from $10,996 in 2017.
Quitman County was second-to-last in Mississippi in per capita income at $27,088. n
