BISMARCK, N.D., June 12 (UPI) -- The economy in North Dakota, the state at the heart of the U.S. oil boom, is growing faster than all other states, Gov. Jack Dalrymple said.
For the fourth year in a row, the gross domestic product in the state increased 9.7 percent to top all other states.
North Dakota oil production is increasing at a rapid pace. Oil production in March, the last full month for which data are available, averaged 977,051 barrels per day, an all-time high. State officials expect production, mostly from the Bakken reserve area, should reach an average 1 million bpd at some point this summer.
The state's mineral resources accounted for 3.6 percent of the GDP growth.
Dalrymple said he'd move the state forward in a way that supports strong economic growth.
"It's very encouraging that our continued economic growth stems from nearly every business sector and that no single industry tells the whole story of the great progress we're making," he added in a statement Wednesday.
Average per capita income of $57,084 leads the nation. North Dakota was ranked 38th in the nation in that category in 2000.
A 2013 state report shows crime increased 7.9 percent from 2011 to 2012.
