The top-performing economy among U.S. states relies heavily on international trade.
And that’s Idaho! Via Bloomberg:
Idaho has fewer people than Houston, still grows the most potatoes, and outperforms all 49 other states with a 21st-century economy that shows that the U.S. does best when it puts the world first.
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It’s had the best combination over the 12 months that ended on March 31 of robust personal income, job growth, stock-market gains and home-price appreciation because its largest employers sell the bulk of their products overseas, count the world’s biggest multinational companies among their customers and suppliers, and make most of their money from the technology driving globalization.
Idaho eclipsed No. 2 Washington by almost four percentage points as its economic health improved 9.7 percent, according to the Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of the States, an index measuring employment, personal income, home prices, mortgage delinquency, tax revenue and the stock market.
10 Best and 10 Worst State Economies
Percentage change in Bloomberg economic health index, 4/1/16-3/31-16*
Source: Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of the States