RI and Taxes
Back in the 1970’s Rhode Island typically and consistently ranked about 30th among the states in total tax burden. But a glance at the table below reveals that the state and local municipalities have excelled in spending and Rhode Island is now solidly 5th or 6th in the nation for total taxation and trending even higher.
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Rhode Island
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State-Local Tax Burden Compared to U.S. Average
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(1970-2007)
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State
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U.S. Average
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Year
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State-Local Tax Burden
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State Rank (1 is highest)
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Federal Tax Burden
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State Rank (1 is highest)
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Total Tax Burden*
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State Rank (1 is highest)
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Average State-Local Tax Burden
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Average Federal Tax Burden
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Total Tax Burden*
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1970
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9.7%
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31
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19.6%
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27
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29.2%
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34
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10.0%
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19.9%
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29.9%
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1971
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10.2%
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20
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18.7%
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28
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28.9%
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26
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10.2%
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19.0%
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29.2%
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1972
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10.3%
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21
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19.4%
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27
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29.7%
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27
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10.6%
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19.8%
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30.3%
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1973
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10.2%
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17
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20.1%
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19
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30.3%
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17
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10.3%
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20.1%
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30.4%
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1974
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10.4%
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15
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21.1%
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18
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31.5%
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16
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10.3%
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20.7%
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31.0%
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1975
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10.4%
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13
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19.6%
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11
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30.1%
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13
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10.3%
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19.1%
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29.4%
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1976
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10.6%
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15
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19.9%
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18
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30.5%
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17
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10.4%
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19.7%
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30.1%
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1977
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10.6%
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17
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19.8%
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25
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30.4%
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23
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10.4%
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20.0%
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30.4%
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1978
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10.6%
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11
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20.5%
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20
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31.1%
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14
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9.9%
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20.4%
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30.4%
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1979
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10.4%
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10
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21.1%
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17
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31.5%
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8
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9.5%
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20.9%
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30.4%
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1980
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10.3%
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11
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21.3%
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19
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31.6%
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12
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9.5%
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21.2%
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30.7%
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1981
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10.5%
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8
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21.8%
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20
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32.3%
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8
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9.4%
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21.9%
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31.3%
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1982
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11.0%
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7
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20.8%
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21
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31.8%
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6
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9.8%
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20.9%
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30.7%
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1983
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10.8%
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10
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19.7%
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21
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30.5%
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9
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9.8%
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19.8%
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29.7%
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1984
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10.4%
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13
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19.5%
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17
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30.0%
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12
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9.8%
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19.6%
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29.4%
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1985
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10.2%
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15
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20.1%
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15
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30.3%
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12
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9.9%
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19.9%
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29.8%
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1986
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10.3%
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15
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20.4%
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9
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30.7%
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10
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10.1%
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19.9%
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29.9%
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1987
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10.6%
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14
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21.4%
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7
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32.0%
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9
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10.3%
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20.7%
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31.0%
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1988
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10.2%
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21
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20.9%
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12
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31.1%
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12
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10.3%
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20.5%
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30.7%
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1989
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10.0%
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26
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20.6%
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20
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30.6%
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24
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10.3%
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20.7%
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31.0%
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1990
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10.5%
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15
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20.4%
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20
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30.9%
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15
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10.3%
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20.5%
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30.8%
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1991
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11.1%
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12
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20.2%
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18
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31.3%
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12
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10.6%
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20.1%
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30.7%
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1992
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11.3%
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11
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20.1%
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16
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31.4%
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9
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10.6%
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19.8%
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30.5%
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1993
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11.0%
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15
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20.1%
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21
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31.0%
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17
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10.5%
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20.1%
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30.7%
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1994
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11.2%
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11
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20.6%
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18
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31.8%
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10
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10.6%
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20.6%
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31.2%
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1995
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11.1%
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12
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20.6%
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30
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31.7%
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15
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10.5%
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21.0%
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31.6%
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1996
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11.2%
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9
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21.1%
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27
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32.3%
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14
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10.5%
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21.5%
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32.0%
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1997
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11.2%
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9
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21.9%
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20
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33.1%
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13
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10.4%
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22.1%
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32.5%
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1998
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11.4%
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8
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22.6%
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17
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34.0%
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11
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10.5%
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22.7%
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33.2%
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1999
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11.5%
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8
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22.6%
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16
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34.1%
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11
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10.5%
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22.9%
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33.3%
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2000
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11.7%
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5
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23.5%
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15
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35.2%
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9
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10.5%
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23.5%
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34.0%
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2001
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11.7%
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5
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22.5%
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14
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34.1%
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9
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10.5%
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22.5%
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33.0%
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2002
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11.4%
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5
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20.0%
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15
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31.3%
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7
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10.3%
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19.9%
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30.3%
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2003
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11.5%
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5
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19.1%
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17
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30.6%
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6
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10.4%
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19.1%
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29.5%
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2004
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11.8%
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5
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19.2%
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16
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31.1%
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6
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10.6%
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19.1%
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29.7%
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2005
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12.4%
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4
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20.9%
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15
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33.4%
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6
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10.9%
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20.6%
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31.5%
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2006
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12.5%
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4
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22.0%
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15
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34.5%
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5
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10.8%
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21.5%
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32.3%
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2007
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12.7%
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4
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22.4%
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13
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35.1%
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6
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11.0%
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21.7%
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32.7%
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* May not add to total due to rounding.
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Source: Tax Foundation calculations based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce
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