State By State Breakdown

Wednesday, July 11, 2012 11:59 PM

The calculation of Cost of Government Day for each state is based on the varying government burdens suffered in each state. The large contributors are federal tax and spending burdens. These federal burdens vary because relatively higher burdens are borne by states with relatively higher incomes. State and local spending burdens vary as well.

As in previous years, the latest Cost of Government Day is in Connecticut, with the average worker toiling until August 9, 2012 (almost an entire month beyond the national average) to pay for the full costs of government. Second place is given to New York and New Jersey with COGD falling on August 5, 2012 for both states. Following closely behind is Washington on July 27 and Wyoming on July 26.
 
State Rank in 2011 Rank in 2012 # of Days Worked State COGD
Tennesee 2 1 180 6/28
Louisiana 4 2 181 6/29
Mississippi 1 2 181 6/29
South Carolina 3 3 184 7/2
South Dakota 4 4 185 7/3
Alaska 13 6 186 7/4
Alabama 8 7 187 7/5
Hawaii 21 7 187 7/5
Missouri 17 9 189 7/7
Maine 17 10 190 7/8
Oklahoma 8 10 190 7/8
West Virginia 4 10 190 7/8
Iowa 21 13 191 7/9
Kentucky 8 13 191 7/9
Arizona 8 15 192 7/10
Georgia 13 15 192 7/10
Arkansas 13 17 193 7/11
Nebraska 36 17 193 7/11
North Carolina 21 17 193 7/11
Texas 25 17 193 7/11
Florida 34 21 195 7/13
New Mexico 4 21 195 7/13
Ohio 21 21 195 7/13
National Average - - 197 7/15
Indiana 19 24 197 7/15
Michigan 25 24 197 7/15
Colorado 27 26 198 7/16
Kansas 30 26 198 7/16
Montana 19 26 198 7/16
Oregon 27 26 198 7/16
Rhode Island 38 26 198 7/16
New Hampshire 29 31 199 7/17
Delaware 30 32 201 7/19
Idaho 13 32 201 7/19
Utah 30 32 201 7/19
Nevada 8 35 202 7/20
North Dakota 32 35 202 7/20
Pennsylvania 40 35 202 7/20
Vermont 30 38 203 7/21
California 43 39 204 7/22
District of Columbia - - 204 7/22
Virginia 36 39 204 7/22
Wisconsin 43 41 205 7/23
Massachusetts 40 42 207 7/25
Minnesota 43 42 207 7/25
Illinois 42 44 208 7/26
Maryland 47 44 208 7/26
Wyoming 38 44 208 7/26
Washington 43 47 209 7/27
New Jersey 49 48 218 8/5
New York 48 48 218 8/5
Connecticut 50 50 222 8/9

 

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