Kansas leads nation with 9.7% real GDP growth during third quarter of 2023

The the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis says growth in the market value of goods and services produced in Kansas from July to September was tops in the nation and expanded by 9.7% during the three-month period. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

By Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Growth in the market value of goods and services produced in Kansas from July to September was tops in the nation and expanded by 9.7% during that three-month period, the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis reported.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia increased real gross domestic product during the third quarter, but Kansas outpaced the rest of the country. By comparison, GDP growth in Missouri registered at 4% while rates in the three other neighboring states surged by 5.8% in Colorado, 6% in Oklahoma and 7.5% in Nebraska. Arkansas recorded the quarter’s lowest level of growth at 0.7%,

“This data shows that our efforts to support businesses, create a stable economy and grow our workforce are paying off,” said Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat engaged with economic development issues with the Republican-controlled Legislature.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Kansas had real GDP expansion of 7.4% in the second quarter from April through June. Overall, 44 states and District of Columbia were on the plus side in that quarter ranging from a positive 8.7% in Wyoming to a negative 1.4% in Vermont.

The border states to Kansas featured advances and a setback in real GDP during the second quarter. Growth in Nebraska came in at 5.9% while Oklahoma was at 4.5% and Colorado at 2.6%. Missouri slumped to a minus 0.1%.

In the first quarter of 2023, Nebraska topped the five-state region at 12.3% growth in real GDP from January to March. The other states: Kansas, 6%; Missouri, 2.6%; Oklahoma, 2.5% and Colorado, 1.9%. Each state and the District of Columbia grew in the first quarter and the spread nationally had North Dakota at a positive 12.4% and Rhode Island and Alabama at a plus 0.1%.

“Now, Kansas is outstripping the entire nation in economic growth and attracting business investment,” Kelly said on Wednesday. “It’s clear we have the momentum to continue this trajectory of economic success into 2024 and beyond.”

Meanwhile, Kansas recorded the third-ranked growth in personal income at 4.9% during the third quarter. Farming income contributed to the state’s improvement in personal income during the period.

This article was reprinted with permission from the Kansas Reflector. The Kansas Reflector is a non-profit online news organization serving Kansas. For more information on the organization, go to its website at www.kansasreflector.com.