How to Read BEA GDP and Personal Income by County — Real vs Current Dollars, Large vs Small Counties
BEA county release for 2024: real GDP rose in 2,273 counties, fell in 809, unchanged in 24; personal income (current dollars) rose in 2,768, fell in 331, unchanged in 7.
Key figures (GDP by County and Personal Income by County, 2024)
As of 5 November 2026, 00:55 KST (retrieved by this page at that time); most recently published release: Gross Domestic Product by County and Personal Income by County, 2024, from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), released February 5, 2026 (BEA 26-08). The next release, for 2025, is scheduled for December 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m., the date named in the February release and listed on the BEA release schedule. Primary source: https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2026-02/lagdppi0226.pdf[1][2][5]
| Indicator (U.S. counties; each published figure is itself a 2023-to-2024 comparison or a 2024 level) | Previous period (2023, the base of the change) | Current period (2024) | Change vs previous | Change vs year ago: same as previous for an annual series | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counties by direction of real GDP change | 2023 levels are not printed in the cited release | 2,273 increased, 809 decreased, 24 unchanged | published counts of 2023-to-2024 changes | same comparison | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis primary statistical record (published counts and ranges) |
| Range of real GDP percent change | 2023 levels are not printed in the cited release | +76.6% (Carter County, MT) to -46.3% (Baca County, CO) | published range of 2023-to-2024 changes | same comparison | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis primary statistical record (published counts and ranges) |
| Counties by direction of personal income change (current dollars) | 2023 levels are not printed in the cited release | 2,768 increased, 331 decreased, 7 unchanged | published counts of 2023-to-2024 changes | same comparison | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis primary statistical record (published counts and ranges) |
| Range of personal income percent change | 2023 levels are not printed in the cited release | +22.6% (Harding County, SD) to -23.3% (Issaquena County, MS) | published range of 2023-to-2024 changes | same comparison | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis primary statistical record (published counts and ranges) |
| Real GDP, large counties (population over 500,000) | 2023 levels are not printed in the cited release | 145 increased, 0 decreased, 1 unchanged | published counts of 2023-to-2024 changes | same comparison | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis primary statistical record (published counts and ranges) |
| Real GDP, small counties (population under 100,000) | 2023 levels are not printed in the cited release | 1,677 increased, 789 decreased, 20 unchanged | published counts of 2023-to-2024 changes | same comparison | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis primary statistical record (published counts and ranges) |
| Largest county real GDP level (chained 2017 dollars) | 2023 level not printed in the cited release | $813.7 billion (New York County, NY) | not calculated: no 2023 level in the cited release | same comparison | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis primary statistical record (published counts and ranges) |
| Largest county personal income level (current dollars) | 2023 level not printed in the cited release | $818.5 billion (Los Angeles County, CA) | not calculated: no 2023 level in the cited release | same comparison | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis primary statistical record (published counts and ranges) |
Comparison basis: the release prints counts of counties and the extreme county values, rounded as published (one decimal for percents, billions or millions of dollars for levels); it no longer prints tables, which BEA now publishes in its interactive data tables CAGDP1 and CAINC1. Real GDP is in chained 2017 dollars and personal income in current dollars, so the two are different measures, not two views of the same figure. The release, its online page, the additional-information page, the FAQ and the release schedule are all BEA publications and count as one source.[1][3]
In three lines
1. This annual BEA release reports, county by county, real GDP (output, adjusted for inflation) and personal income (income of residents, not adjusted for inflation).
2. In 2024 real GDP rose in 2,273 counties, fell in 809 and was unchanged in 24.
3. Personal income rose in 2,768 counties, fell in 331 and was unchanged in 7.[1]
What the release and BEA's notes say
Two different measures. "Gross domestic product (GDP) by county is the market value of goods and services produced by the labor and property located in a county." "Real values are inflation-adjusted statistics—that is, these exclude the effects of price changes." Personal income is the income received by, or on behalf of, all persons from all sources: "Personal income is measured before the deduction of personal income taxes and other personal taxes and is reported in current dollars (no adjustment is made for price changes)."[3]
Revisions and coverage. "The annual estimates of GDP and personal income by county from 2020 to 2023 were revised." From 2024, Connecticut is shown by planning regions instead of counties: "Because the estimates for planning regions are only available for 2024, they are not included in the percent change ranges in the news release."[1]
No more metro-area figures. With the 2024 county release, BEA discontinued GDP and personal income for metropolitan, micropolitan and combined statistical areas and related aggregates. "GDP and personal income estimates will continue to be published by county." BEA's FAQ gives two reasons: fewer suppressions on published county statistics, and the quality of statistics for aggregate areas whose definitions change over time.[1][4]
Limits BEA states. "Chained-dollar values are not additive, because the relative weights for a given period differ from those of the reference year." "However, real GDP by county does not capture geographic differences in the prices of goods and services that are produced and sold locally." "County personal income differs slightly from the estimate of U.S. personal income in the National Income and Product Accounts because of differences in coverage, in the methodologies used to prepare the estimates, and in the timing of the availability of source data."[3]
Reading in pairs
Real GDP counts vs personal income counts. Both sets of counts add to 3,106 counties in this page's sums (2,273 + 809 + 24, and 2,768 + 331 + 7); Connecticut planning regions' year-over-year changes are not included, since BEA says: "Because the estimates for planning regions are only available for 2024, they are not included in the percent change ranges in the news release." More counties show rising personal income than rising real GDP, but the two are not on the same footing: real GDP removes price changes, while personal income is in current dollars. In this page's reading, the gap between the two counts may partly reflect that difference in price adjustment; these figures do not establish how much.[1][3]
Large vs small counties. All 146 large counties (population over 500,000) had rising personal income, and 145 had rising real GDP with one unchanged; every decline in personal income (331) was in small counties (population under 100,000), which also had 789 of the 809 real GDP declines. The widest swings, +76.6% and -46.3% for real GDP, were both in small counties. The release does not explain individual county changes.[1]
Output vs income in one county. Issaquena County, MS, had the smallest real GDP of any county ($15.7 million) and the largest personal income decline (-23.3%), while Loving County, TX, had the smallest personal income ($10.6 million). GDP is counted where production happens and personal income where residents live, so a county's two figures need not move together.[1]
County sums vs national totals. Chained-dollar county values are not additive, so county real GDP does not sum exactly to a regional or national figure; county personal income for the United States is the sum of the county estimates and the District of Columbia, and differs slightly from the national accounts figure.[3]
This release vs the next one. The February release and the BEA release schedule both give December 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. for the 2025 county data; with that release, the 2024 data are to be superseded, and the original 2024 data can then be found in BEA's Data Archive.[1][5]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
Real GDP increased in 2,273 U.S. counties, decreased in 809 and was unchanged in 24 in 2024, according to BEA.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Personal income, in current dollars, increased in 2,768 U.S. counties, decreased in 331 and was unchanged in 7 in 2024.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
In 2024 the percent change in county real GDP ranged from a 76.6 percent increase in Carter County, MT, to a 46.3 percent decline in Baca County, CO.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The BEA release schedule lists GDP by County and Personal Income by County, 2025 for December 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m.[5] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
BEA's 2024 real GDP counts and personal income counts each add to 3,106 counties; Connecticut planning regions' year-over-year changes are not included.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's sums of BEA's published county counts
The larger number of counties with rising personal income than with rising real GDP may partly reflect that personal income is in current dollars and real GDP removes price changes; these figures do not establish how much.[1][3] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's reading of BEA's published county counts
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- Which industries drove the largest county changes in 2024?
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 11/05/2026, 00:55
- Body characters
- 8,097
- Sources
- 5 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 11/05/2026, 01:03
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 11/05/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 11/05/2026 | First version. Read in full the BEA county GDP and personal income release for 2024 (PDF and web page), the release's additional-information page, the BEA FAQ on discontinued aggregate areas and the BEA release schedule; quotations are complete sentences matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 11/05/2026 | Revised after review: the BEA release schedule was read again row by row, and the 2025 county release is scheduled for December 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. (December 8 is the trade release), so the earlier note on conflicting dates is removed; the 3,106-county sums now state that Connecticut planning regions' year-over-year changes are not included. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How many U.S. counties had growing real GDP in 2024?
2,273 counties, according to BEA's February 5, 2026 release; 809 had declines and 24 were unchanged.[1]
Which county had the largest real GDP in 2024?
New York County, NY, at $813.7 billion in chained 2017 dollars; the smallest was Issaquena County, MS, at $15.7 million.[1]
Is county personal income adjusted for inflation in the 2024 release?
No: in the 2024 release, personal income is in current dollars with no adjustment for price changes, while real GDP is inflation-adjusted.[1][3]
Can I add up county real GDP figures for 2024?
Not exactly: BEA's 2024 county real GDP is in chained 2017 dollars, and BEA says chained-dollar values are not additive.[3]
Does BEA still publish GDP for metropolitan areas after the 2024 county release?
No: with the 2024 county statistics BEA discontinued metropolitan and other aggregate-area statistics and continues to publish by county.[1][4]
When is the 2025 county release?
December 2, 2026 at 8:30 a.m., per both the BEA release schedule and the February 2026 release.[1][5]
Were earlier county years revised in the 2024 release?
Yes: the 2024 release revised the annual county estimates of GDP and personal income for 2020 to 2023.[1]
Official links
Sources
- [1] Gross Domestic Product by County and Personal Income by County, 2024, news release BEA 26-08 (PDF) primary
- [2] Gross Domestic Product by County and Personal Income by County, 2024, release page (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis) primary
- [3] GDP by County and Personal Income by County release, additional information (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis) primary
- [4] FAQ: discontinuation of GDP and personal income for county aggregate areas (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis) primary
- [5] BEA news release schedule (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis) primary