Report: Missouri economy ranks No. 17

Each state was evaluated in 16 state policy categories ranging from tax burdens to minimum wage to workers’ compensation costs.

Missouri pulled in No. 1 rankings for both its lack of an inheritance tax and its number of tax expenditure limits, but it fell near the middle of the rankings for most categories, including:

• Sales tax burden, which is $27.44 per $1,000 of personal income in Missouri;

• Marginal personal income tax rate, which is 7 percent;

• Minimum wage at $6.50 per hour;

• Number of public employees, which is 547.8 per 10,000 citizens; and

• Average workers’ compensation costs, which were $2.50 per $100 of payroll.

The Show-Me state ranked 14th for its 5.81 percent marginal corporate income tax rate. Its worst category was personal income tax progressivity, ranking 42nd for its $12.96 change in tax liability per $1,000 income.

Utah ranked first in the report, while Vermont placed last.