Vt. only state to see household income go up - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

Vt. only state to see household income go up

Vermont was the only state in the country to see median household income go up last year. And it's the first time any state has seen an increase since 2009.

The new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show Vermont's median income for a family of four rose from $50,707 in 2010 to $52,776 in 2011. That's a 4 percent increase.

That comes at a time when 18 states saw drops in income and other states remained flat.

University of Vermont economist Art Woolf says Vermont apparent economic strength is somewhat misleading.

"Vermont we know has a problem attracting youth. In fact, youth are leaving Vermont. So, because we don't have a lot of young people coming into the labor market and getting their first jobs, that means we're kind of skewed toward older workers who are earning more income," Woolf said.

New Hampshire's median income fell slightly from 2010 to 2011, but the Granite State still has the second highest figure in the country at nearly $66,000 a year.