Idahoans Spend a Lot on the Essentials

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho residents have among the lowest personal incomes in the nation but spend a higher percentage of their money on basic essentials compared to most others, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Idaho's per-capita consumer spending was $30,190 — just a few dollars higher than the per-capita spending in Utah and Hawaii. Nevada, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi all came in lower.

But Idahoans had to spend a much larger percentage of their income than most — just over 43 percent — to cover the basic essentials of food, housing, health care and gasoline or other energy goods.

Only Mississippi residents spent a higher portion of their income on those categories, with almost half of their income going to essentials. The national average was about 37.5 percent.