Growing county economies

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates the real domestic product in the United States grew 1.8% last year, down from 5.8% the previous year to a record of nearly $21.7 trillion dollars. The economic growth of most counties in the Chattanooga region outpaced the national growth rate last year, and Rhea County boasted the fastest economic growth of any county in Tennessee in 2022. The real economic output of area counties, ranked by their growth rate last year, were:

1. Rhea County — $2.44 billion, up 28% from the previous year after a 22.7% gain in 2021. 2. Polk County — $376.6 million, up 12.6% from the previous year after a 15.1% gain in 2021. 3. Bledsoe County — $232.6 million, up 7.5% from the previous year after an 8.3% gain in 2021. 4. Hamilton County — $29.1 billion, up 6.2% from the previous year after a 6.2% gain in 2021. 5. Dade County — $439.5 million, up 6.2% from the previous year after a 5.1% gain in 2021. 6. Walker County — $1.62 billion, up 5.8% from the previous year after an 8.8% gain in 2021. 7. Marion County — $853.1 million, up 4.5% from the previous year after a 4.6% gain in 2021.

8. Grundy County — $248.3 million, up 3.7% from the previous year after a 6.4% gain in 2021.

9. Whitfield County — $5.84 billion, up 2.1% from the previous year after a 4.6% gain in 2021.

10. Bradley County — $4.81 billion, up 0.9% from the previous year after a 4.2% gain in 2021.

11. Catoosa County — $1.71 billion, up 1.5% from the previous year after an 8.6% gain in 2021.

12. Meigs County — $265.5 million, up 1.1% from the previous year after a 9.3% gain in 2021.

13. McMinn County — 2.27 billion, up 0.9% from the previous year after a 4.8% gain in 2021.

14. Jackson County, Alabama — $1.48 billion, down 2.4% from the previous year after a 4.6% gain in 2021.