State-level economic performance continues to diverge significantly.

A visualization by Visual Capitalist traces state-level GDP growth from 1990 to 2024 and highlights distinct regional disparities. States that embraced energy (particularly shale) and technology have seen large gains, while many traditional manufacturing-heavy or resource-dependent states have lagged.

North Dakota grew real GDP by around 164% and Texas by roughly 141% over this period, far ahead of many other states.

The takeaway: state-level performance is tied to industry composition and regional competitive advantage. Strong growth tends to come from states investing in high-growth sectors like energy, technology, and professional services.