Published Jan-17-2013
Personal income includes all forms of income including earnings by place of work; dividends, interest, and rent; and transfer payments (largely Social Security and Medicare). Total personal income is then divided by population to create per capita personal income (PCPI).
Douglas County's total personal income grew by approximately $127 million in 2011 to reach $3.4 billion, a 3.9 percent increase over 2011. When the data are adjusted for inflation however, total personal income increased by $25 million, or 0.8 percent. Inflation-adjusted personal income also increased by $52 million, or 1.6 percent in 2010, after dropping $135 million in 2009.
The components of personal income for Douglas County show that 49 percent came from earnings, while 18 percent was from dividends, interest and rent, and 33 percent came from transfer payments. Douglas County has a high proportion of personal income from transfer payments compared with the U.S. and Oregon, which are 18 and 20 percent respectively - an indication of a relatively large retirement-age population.
Douglas County's real (inflation adjusted) per capita personal income has now increased two years in a row after declining during the recession in 2009. From 2008 to 2009 it dropped by $1,270 or 4.0 percent. Since then it increased $390 (1.3%) in 2010 and $290 (0.9%) in 2011.
Statewide, real PCPI dropped $2,220 (-5.7%) in 2009, increased $180 (+0.5%) in 2010 and increased $490 (+1.3%) in 2011. At the national level, real PCPI decreased $2,270 (-5.3%) in 2009, increased $540 (+1.3%) in 2010, and increased $510 (+1.2%) in 2011.
Relative to other areas, Douglas County's per capita personal income dropped to 83 percent of the statewide level in 2011, and stayed at 75 percent of U.S. PCPI.
