Alabama ranks 43rd in per capita income

According to 2003 Census figures, the median household income in Alabama was $36,131, ranking the state 43rd in the nation. There are at least a couple of things worth keeping in mind when considering that number, though:

1) A dollar in Alabama goes further than it does in other states, since the cost of living here is lower than it is in most other states.

2) Alabama has one of the lowest per-capita tax burdens in the nation. This is a factor that the Census figures do not account for, since they are based on gross income rather than take-home pay.

We have improved, by the way. In 1989, the state ranked 47th.