Kansas consumer spending rises faster, but still lower, than most of its neighbors

New government figures show consumer spending in Kansas grew slightly faster than most of its closest neighbors, but average per-person spending remained lower than all but one.

The report marks the government's first state-by-state breakdown of consumer spending. Nationally, the report shows a substantial shift in the economy since the recession.

Kansas ranks somewhere in the middle of most categories, including how much residents have spent on housing, utilities and health care. In 2012, the latest year for which data are available, per-person spending averaged $35,498 nationally and $32,523 in Kansas.

Spending rose 3.7 percent in Kansas in 2011-2012, compared with 3.6 percent in Missouri, 2.9 percent in Nebraska and 3 percent in Colorado. Of Kansas' neighbors, only Oklahoma had a higher increase at 4.2 percent.