How personal income has changed in Ben Hill County, Georgia

The start of the 2020s saw dramatic movement in Americans' personal incomes—and a positive one at that for those in the middle- and lower-income brackets.

Stimulus checks and pandemic-era welfare programs added thousands to households' bottom lines through tax credits for things like child care. A cultural revolution in the workforce, referred to as the Great Resignation, led to roughly 1 in 3 workers changing jobs in pursuit of better benefits, more fulfillment, and greater compensation.

But by 2022, inflation reached historic highs, peaking at around 9% and threatening to wipe out the newfound purchasing power attained by the working class.

Personal income rose at a much slower rate, on average, in 2022 than it did in 2021. For Americans living and working in big metropolitan areas, individuals' income grew about 1.7% over the year, compared with the 8.9% growth seen in 2021. In nonmetropolitan and rural areas, Americans saw personal income grow slightly less at 1.2% in 2022, compared to 8.9% the year before.

Stacker analyzed Bureau of Economic Analysis data to see how personal income has changed in Ben Hill County and how it compares to state and national levels. Income can include more than salaries and hourly wages. Passive income earned by investments like stock holdings or a 401(k), as well as commissions and bonuses, are all considered income.

Personal income in Ben Hill County was $38,598 per capita in 2022, BEA data shows. That was down 1.6% from 2021.

Ben Hill County had the #128 highest income per capita out of 159 counties in the state included in the data. Ben Hill County's typical personal income level was $17,991 below that of the state and $26,872 below that of the country.

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten, writing by Dom DiFurio, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 3,101 counties.