North Carolina has statistically the samemedian household income over the years 2004-2006 as our neighbors, Tennessee and South Carolina. Household income fell a statistically significant 3.7% between the 2004-05 period and the 2005-06 period. Only Oklahoma had a larger decline (4.2%).
Keep that in mind when somebody tells you about the “needs” being met by 9.5% annual increases in the General Fund or talks about the “need” to pay for roads with higher taxes and impose a new 1/4-cent sales tax or a transfer tax at the local level.