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People In Central Texas Are Spending More Money

People shopping at the Domain in Austin. New state numbers suggest people are spending more money not just in Central Texas, but also across the state.
Photo by Adam Knight http://www.flickr.com/photos/adam_knight/
People shopping at the Domain in Austin. New state numbers suggest people are spending more money not just in Central Texas, but also across the state.

Even though Central Texas avoided the most severe blows of the national recession, we still experienced our own economic downturn. New data from the state shows we are continuing to bounce back.

Sales tax numbers issued today by the Texas Comptroller show increased buying by people in cities across Central Texas. That trend held true across the state, with revenue this year up 11 percent compared to the same time frame last year.

In Austin, shoppers paid $58.6 million in sales tax from January to April 2010. This year, the number was $60.5 million, an increase of more than three percent. The growth from March 2011 to April 2011 was slightly negative, however, with a decline in sales tax revenue of 0.6 percent.

Dripping Springs saw a whopping 33 percent increase in January to April sales tax revenue this year.  Westlake's increased by 8 percent. Click on a city below for more information on exactly how much cash it collected.

 

 

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.