According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2001, Tennessee had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $26,808 which ranked 36th in the United States (including the District of Columbia) and was 88% of the national average, $30,413. The 2001 PCPI reflected an increase of 2.0% from 2000 compared to the national change of 2.2%. In 2001, Tennessee had a total personal income (TPI) of $154,129,629,000 which ranked 20th in the United States and accounted for 1.8% of the national total. The 2001 TPI reflected an increase of 2.8% from 2000 compared to the national change of 3.3%.
Earnings of persons employed in Tennessee increased from $110,654,536,000 in 2000 to $112,771,356,000 in 2001, an increase of 1.9%. The largest industries in 2001 were services,29.2% of earnings; durable goods manufacturing, 10.7%; and retail trade, 10.4%. Of the industries that accounted for at least 5% of earnings in 2001, the slowest growing from 2000 to 2001 was durable goods manufacturing, which decreased 6.9%; the fastest was state and local government (10.3% of earnings in 2001), which increased 5.9%.
According to data released by the US Census Bureau, in 2000, the median household income was $33,885 compared to the national average of $42,148. In 2001, the median income for a family of four was $56,052 compared to the national average of $63,278. For the period 1999 to 2001, the average poverty rate was 13.2% which placed it 40th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranked lowest to highest.