Sovereign states: these 14 (and D.C.) rule when it comes to higher-than-average growth in both GDP and per capita income since 2000. North Carolina is not among them.

• Author: Hood, John
• Position: Free&Clear

Does Oregon have a sizzling economy? By one measure--gross domestic product--the Beaver State has built an impressive record since the start of the 21st century. Its real, inflation-adjusted GDP growth has averaged 3.7% a year since 2000. That's second-highest among the 50 states and District of Columbia and far above the national average of 1.5%.

That's not the only way to measure economic performance. GDP is an abstraction--a tally of goods and services produced and traded in dollars. As individuals, we care less about the abstract than personal experiences such as employment or income gains. According to another measure--per capita income growth--Oregon ranks 45th since 2000.

Arguments on the merits of economic metrics are more than academic. They affect public perception and shape policy. Tar Heel officials are looking to other states and localities for ideas and inspiration as North Carolina continues its slow recovery from the Great Recession. That's healthy. Benchmarking is a wise practice for any organization, but its success depends on choosing the right subjects for comparison.

For example, high rates of GDP growth can reflect not only real gains in workplace productivity but also in-migration of retirees, college students or illegal immigrants. On the flip side, high rates of income growth may signify the out-migration of groups with low incomes. Instead of choosing a single indicator of economic growth, we would be better off comparing our state against those that perform well in a range of measures.

Using the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, I found 15 places that have enjoyed higher-than-average growth in GDP and per capita income in the 21st century: Alaska, Arkansas, D.C., Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming. North Carolina wasn't even close. While our GDP growth since 2000 ranked 19th, our growth in per capita income was an abysmal 47th. North Carolina exceeded the national average in both measures during the last three decades of the 20th century

There is no common denominator across all 15 pacesetters, though there are interesting patterns. Nine have Republican-majority legislatures, three have Democratic ones, two are split, and one--Nebraska--is officially nonpartisan. Ten form a continuous belt stretching from Texas to Montana, Alaska and Hawaii touch the Pacific, and Virginia, Maryland and D.C. form a clump on the...