Louisiana finished 14th lowest in the size of its state and local government operations, based on their share of the state’s gross domestic product, according to a 24/7 Wall St. analysis.
State and local governments in Louisiana have a share of state GDP estimated at $3,991 per capita, according to the study. The total GDP per capita in the state is $49,606.
State and local government employees represent 14.9 percent of the state’s total workforce, the analysis found.
The GDP for state and local governments includes social spending, employee salaries, public education programs, water treatment operations and public safety budgets, according to 24/7 Wall St.
Some of the states with the biggest government sectors also require residents to pay higher levels of taxes, the study found. But other states have relatively large governments and low tax rates on individuals because they have natural resources whose extraction can be subject to levies, according to the analysis.
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States With the Smallest Government Sectors
| Rank | State | State, Local Government Share of GDP per Capita | Total GDP per Capita | State, Local Employees, as a % of Total Workforce | Median Household Income |
| 1 | Florida | $3,392 | $43,052 | 10.9% | $52,594 |
| 2 | Indiana | $3,494 | $48,738 | 12.3% | $54,181 |
| 3 | Tennessee | $3,658 | $47,695 | 12.6% | $51,340 |
| 4 | Idaho | $3,686 | $39,843 | 15.1% | $52,225 |
| 5 | Arkansas | $3,710 | $38,467 | 15.1% | $45,869 |
| 6 | Georgia | $3,758 | $49,663 | 12.9% | $56,183 |
| 7 | Kentucky | $3,760 | $41,659 | 14.2% | $48,375 |
| 8 | Missouri | $3,791 | $46,064 | 13.0% | $53,578 |
| 9 | Arizona | $3,795 | $43,096 | 12.4% | $56,581 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $3,833 | $55,602 | 10.0% | $59,195 |
| 11 | Michigan | $3,895 | $46,858 | 12.5% | $54,909 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $3,912 | $39,495 | 17.3% | $43,469 |
| 13 | Maine | $3,965 | $42,356 | 13.4% | $56,277 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $3,991 | $49,606 | 14.9% | $46,145 |
| 15 | Mississippi | $4,027 | $34,029 | 18.6% | $43,529 |
| 16 | Utah | $4,047 | $49,740 | 13.8% | $68,358 |
| 17 | Nevada | $4,065 | $48,189 | 10.0% | $58,003 |
| 18 | Alabama | $4,078 | $40,279 | 16.1% | $48,123 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $4,123 | $50,827 | 10.1% | $63,870 |
| 20 | Ohio | $4,127 | $51,456 | 12.5% | $54,021 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $4,129 | $55,744 | 11.8% | $73,381 |
| 22 | Montana | $4,173 | $42,173 | 16.1% | $53,386 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $4,194 | $47,778 | 14.4% | $52,752 |
| 24 | Texas | $4,249 | $58,417 | 13.8% | $59,206 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $4,253 | $51,997 | 15.4% | $56,521 |
| 26 | Illinois | $4,425 | $59,980 | 12.1% | $62,992 |
| 27 | Colorado | $4,474 | $59,057 | 14.2% | $69,117 |
| 28 | Virginia | $4,485 | $55,929 | 13.5% | $71,535 |
| 29 | Maryland | $4,488 | $60,886 | 13.1% | $80,776 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $4,557 | $39,883 | 15.5% | $50,570 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $4,580 | $51,575 | 12.6% | $59,305 |
| 32 | Kansas | $4,588 | $52,297 | 16.4% | $56,422 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $4,589 | $59,057 | 13.3% | $68,388 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $4,680 | $48,954 | 17.5% | $50,051 |
| 35 | Massachusetts | $4,885 | $72,635 | 11.2% | $77,385 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $4,900 | $44,187 | 18.3% | $46,744 |
| 37 | Vermont | $4,928 | $47,921 | 15.6% | $57,513 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $4,958 | $56,880 | 14.1% | $77,765 |
| 39 | Oregon | $5,046 | $50,996 | 13.9% | $60,212 |
| 40 | Delaware | $5,063 | $66,023 | 13.2% | $62,852 |
| 41 | Iowa | $5,113 | $54,101 | 15.2% | $58,570 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $5,153 | $62,263 | 13.2% | $80,088 |
| 43 | Connecticut | $5,162 | $67,784 | 12.9% | $74,168 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $5,433 | $67,308 | 16.8% | $61,843 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $5,621 | $58,141 | 15.3% | $59,970 |
| 46 | California | $5,638 | $67,698 | 13.6% | $71,805 |
| 47 | Washington | $5,653 | $67,242 | 14.6% | $70,979 |
| 48 | New York | $6,072 | $73,531 | 14.1% | $64,894 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $7,415 | $66,413 | 21.1% | $60,434 |
| 50 | Alaska | $7,443 | $70,936 | 19.8% | $73,181 |
Source: 24/7 Wall St.
This is a revised article first published by The Center Square.
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