Washington, D.C. — Per capital income in the Portland-Vancouver area dropped 3 percent in 2009, the U.S. Commerce Department said. Income from work, investments, property rent payments and retirement payments averaged $38,728 per person across the area.
Nationwide, U.S. metropolitan areas saw a 2.8 percent decline in per capita income, which fell to $40,757.
Lower per capita income does not necessarily mean that wages have fallen among people who are still working. Job losses and population growth can both drive down the average per-person income, because the tally includes the unemployed.