Northeastern states post comebackin income

Incomes in the Northeastern states, slipping since 1929, remained above average last year while much of the Sun Belt, burdened by an influx of newcomers , fell behind, the government reported.

The national average income in 1982 was $11,107 per person, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis reported. The highest state income was Alaska's, at $16,257, and the lowest was Mississippi's, at $7,778.

As 1982 was ending, 31 states had above-average incomes, among them the New England and other Eastern states bolstered by high-tech and service industries. Twenty states had below-average incomes, including Georgia, Florida, and Arizona.