BEA Regional Economic Data and FIPS Codes

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is the primary source of GDP data for the United States, and its regional economic accounts extend that coverage down to the state, metro area, and county level. BEA's Regional Economic Accounts (REA) include county-level personal income, per capita personal income, employment, and compensation data going back to 1969 — one of the longest county-level time series available from any federal agency. All geographies are identified by FIPS codes.

BEA's county data uses standard 5-digit FIPS codes for counties, 2-digit codes for states, and MSA FIPS codes for metropolitan areas. The county personal income tables (CAINC series) are available through the BEA's interactive data portal and via the BEA API. An API request for King County, WA personal income: https://apps.bea.gov/api/data/?UserID={KEY}&method=GetData&datasetname=Regional&TableName=CAINC1&LineCode=1&GeoFips=53033.

One distinctive feature of BEA's geography is that it publishes data for Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs) in addition to MSAs. A CSA like the Seattle CSA encompasses the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue MSA (42660) and adjacent micropolitan areas. CSA codes are 3-digit numbers, distinct from the 5-digit MSA FIPS codes. Verify which geographic level a specific BEA table uses before attempting joins with other datasets.

BEA county data is particularly valuable for long-run economic trend analysis. Because the series extends back to 1969, it captures multiple economic cycles at the county level — useful for studying the differential impact of recessions, industry transitions, and policy changes across geographies. To identify the county FIPS codes for your analysis, use the search tool or browse through state listings.