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Just the Facts - Key Economic and Social Indicators for New York State

Interest Payments per Capita on State & Local Government Debt, 1997

Table 29
Rank State Amt.   Rank State Amt.
1 Alaska $733   27 Oregon $206
2 NEW YORK $453   28 South Dakota 203
3 Hawaii 394   29 Maine 201
4 Delaware 376   30 Texas 192
5 New Hampshire 372   31 Michigan 190
6 Connecticut 359   32 Kansas 186
7 Rhode Island 352   33 Arizona 183
8 Massachusetts 335   34 North Dakota 174
9 Kentucky 292   35 New Mexico 167
10 Nevada 290   36 Ohio 157
11 New Jersey 286   37 Mississippi 154
12 Pennsylvania 283   38 Utah 153
13 Minnesota 281   39 Missouri 151
14 Colorado 279   40 Alabama 150
15 Wyoming 267   41 Georgia 147
16 Illinois 253   42 Tennessee 145
17 Florida 250   43 Indiana 143
18 Maryland 250   44 Oklahoma 137
19 Louisiana 243   45 South Carolina 135
20 California 229   46 Idaho 128
21 West Virginia 228   47 North Carolina 126
22 Vermont 227   48 Arkansas 121
23 Wisconsin 219   49 Iowa 113
24 Montana 219   50 Nebraska 113
25 Washington 215   U.S. average $233
26 Virginia 211   N.Y.S. % above avg. 94.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1997 Compendium of Government Finances http://www.census.gov/govs/www/cog.html
State and local governments in New York spend more on interest than on corrections, police and fire departments, or highways.