The income of Kansans is falling behind the national trend. In 1977, the starting year of this chart, per capita income in Kansas was only slightly below the national average. Since then Kansas has lagged behind the rest of the nation, and the gap is getting wider.
At the same time, Kansas, over the long term, is becoming a high tax-state. This chart shows Kansas’ rank among the states for tax burden. A low ranking means the burden is high. (I’ve presented the vertical axis in reverse order, so that as the line rises, it means the Kansas tax burden is increasing, relative to all other states.)
Over the 30 years represented in this chart, it’s evident that Kansas has trended from being a low-tax state to becoming a high-tax state. For much of the 2000s, Kansas was moving in the right direction. But for the past few years, Kansas is moving in the wrong direction, relative to other states.
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