Kansas income lags behind, tax burden rises

by Bob Weeks on March 12, 2010

The income of Kansans is falling behind the national trend. In 1977, the starting year of this chart, per capita income in Kansas was only slightly below the national average. Since then Kansas has lagged behind the rest of the nation, and the gap is getting wider.

Kansas and U.S. per capita income

At the same time, Kansas, over the long term, is becoming a high tax-state. This chart shows Kansas’ rank among the states for tax burden. A low ranking means the burden is high. (I’ve presented the vertical axis in reverse order, so that as the line rises, it means the Kansas tax burden is increasing, relative to all other states.)

Over the 30 years represented in this chart, it’s evident that Kansas has trended from being a low-tax state to becoming a high-tax state. For much of the 2000s, Kansas was moving in the right direction. But for the past few years, Kansas is moving in the wrong direction, relative to other states.

Kansas local tax burden rank

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Tagged as: Kansas state government, Taxation

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Joel Weihe March 13, 2010 at 9:33 am: Ultimately all these taxes will drive people away. Some to shop and some for good.
You can make downtown as pretty as you want but if people can’t afford to shop there, what good is it.
Spending is out of control. (as if that’s news.)
2 bman March 13, 2010 at 10:56 am: Wheat is at $4.00. why bother
3 concerned March 14, 2010 at 5:52 pm: What a bunk of whiny-a$$ed CONS.

Pack it up and move the hell to Somalia where is no government!
4 D. Losey March 15, 2010 at 2:06 pm: “Kansas is moving in the wrong direction, relative to other states.”

Could that be because there is no opportunity for public inititives or referendums? There will be no TABOR in Kansas! We must depend 100% on our elected officials to reign in spending. Fat chance!

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