The most common economic indicators used to discuss a region's economic strength are gross product, employment, income, and population. Gross regional product is the regional counterpart to gross domestic product and measures the final goods and services produced within a region.

Dearborn County has grown significantly in the past decade. Gross regional product in the county increased 60.0%, exceeding growth in the Cincinnati MSA and Indiana. These two areas experienced increases of 35.6% and 33.8%, respectively.

Gross Product Growth (1995-2004)

Data Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

Employment growth has kept pace with growth in gross product. Dearborn County's employment in 1995 was 10,578 and 14,624 in 2004. Employment growth in the county exceeds that of the Cincinnati MSA and Indiana for this time period:

• Dearborn - 36.2%
• Cincinnati MSA - 11.4%
• Indiana - 5.0%

Employment Growth Comparison (1995-2004)

Data Source: QCEW Program, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Dearborn County Establishment Growth for Selected Industries (1998-2002)
	% Growth
Total	1.5%
Utilities (22)	9.1%
Construction (23)	-9.1%
Manufacturing (31-33)	-9.1%
Wholesale trade (42)	16.2%
Retail trade (44-45)	-2.5%
Transportation & warehousing (48-49)	8.3%
Information (51)	-16.7%
Finance & insurance (52)	3.6%
Real estate & rental & leasing (53)	24.2%
Professional, scientific & technical services (54)	18.2%
Management of companies & enterprises (55)	0.0%
Admin, support, waste mgt, remediation services (56)	-3.3%
Educational services (61)	-25.0%
Health care and social assistance (62)	15.1%
Arts, entertainment & recreation (71)	35.3%
Accommodation & food services (72)	0.0%
Other services (except public administration) (81)	-2.4%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Establishment Growth Comparison (1998-2002)

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Establishment growth in the county has increased significantly in recent years. The number of establishments grew from 982 to 1,012 between 1998 and 2002. This growth exceeds that of Indiana and the Cincinnati MSA for the same time period:

• Dearborn County - 1.5%
• Cincinnati MSA - 0.2%
• Indiana - 0.8%

New Businesses

• LaRosa's (2005)
• Walgreen's (2005)
• Greendale Cinema (2005)

Expanding Businesses

• The Argosy Casino and Hotel: The casino plans to spend up to $150 million on new gambling space and hotel rooms. Established in 1997, this casino is the highest-grossing riverboat of all six riverboats operated by the company.
• Southeastern Beverage Inc: Established in 1945, the company is planning a 40,000 square foot expansion to their Aurora facility.

Population growth in the county is 12.9% for the 1995-2004 period. This increase exceeds that of the Cincinnati MSA and Indiana, and signifies a growing labor resource for the county.

Per capita personal income grew 50.0% between 1995 and 2004. The rapid expansion of per capita personal income is significant given Dearborn County's population growth.

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Population and Per Capita Personal Income Growth
(1995-2004*)

Data Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Census Bureau

The Woods and Poole Wealth Index measures the level of wealth in a region relative to the United States, which has an index value of 100. The index includes per capita income, interest, rental income and transfer payments. This indicator shows Dearborn County residents are growing wealthier over time. Residents in the county have experienced larger increases in their relative wealth than residents of the Cincinnati MSA and Indiana.

Woods and Poole Wealth Index
	1995	2004	1995-2004 % change
Dearborn	86.76	92.52	6.6%
Cincinnati MSA	103.17	103.08	-0.1%
Indiana	94.41	92.13	-2.4%

Data Source: Woods and Poole

Income
Household income is the sum of all income received by household members 15 years and over. This income measure includes income from all sources: wages and salaries; net self-employment income; interest, dividends, and rental income; transfer payments; and all other income.

Dearborn County Median Household Income
1997	$43,559
2002	$51,194
% Increase	17.5%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004

Per capita personal income is the total income in a specified region divided by the population. Personal income includes income received by individuals from all sources.

Dearborn County Per Capita Personal Income
1995	$20,228
2004*	$30,345
% Increase	50%

Data Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2004

In 2004, 39.4% of county households have effective buying income of $60,000 or more. This figure exceeds the percentage of households with the same buying income in the Cincinnati MSA (37.2%) and Indiana (32.4%).

Households by Effective Buying Income (2004)
	Dearborn County	Cincinnati MSA	Indiana
Total Households	18,252	814,808	2,436,454
Under $20,000	14.3%	18.8%	19.7%
$20,000-$44,999	28.4%	29.0%	31.9%
$45,000-$59,999	17.9%	15.1%	16.1%
$60,000-$74,999	14.3%	12.0%	11.9%
$75,000 & Over	25.1%	25.2%	20.5%

Data Source: Woods and Poole, 2004

Dearborn County's per capita personal income of $29,279 ranked 19th in the state of Indiana in 2003. This number represents a 2.3% increase from the previous year compared to Cincinnati MSA growth of 2.5%, state growth of 3.1% and national growth of 2.2%.

Per Capita Personal Income Growth Comparison
(1995-2004*)

Data Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2003

* 2004 Per Capita Personal Income for Dearborn County and the MSA were estimated by the AERI

Table 1: Dearborn County Demographic Characteristics