Report: Tri-Cities lags behind state on income growth

Households in Benton and Franklin counties had less income than the rest of the state and experienced lower growth over time in 2014, according to the latest economic indicator published by Benton-Franklin Trends.

Benton-Franklin Trends is an initiative of Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis to compile reliable civic and economic data for the Tri-City area. A new report is published each week, with support from local governments and sponsors such as the Tri-City Herald.

The current chart looks at the growth in median household income over time. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, it reveals that Benton and Franklin households have less overall income than the state on average and that the median level is rising slower than the state.

Median income reflects all sources of income, including wages, pensions and other sources, including Social Security.

The Trends site offers hundreds of charts documenting the area’s educational, economic and other trends. Visit it online at bit.ly/BFTrends.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Report: Tri-Cities lags behind state on income growth."