8. Illinois
GDP per Capita: $90,449
The 8th richest state, Illinois, has sometimes been likened to a microcosm of America at large, with a diverse array of industries including manufacturing, mining, financial institutions, technology, and agriculture.
Its main natural resource is the black soil in which Illinoisan farmers grow soybeans and corn, while the state also has a reputation for producing high-quality dairy products and livestock.
With high levels of coal reserves, the tenth-richest state in the country is able to power a wide range of industries, including food products, computers, electronics, rubber, fabricated metals, and chemicals.
It’s also one of the top producers of nonelectrical machinery, with these products accounting for its largest share of foreign exports, manufactured at industrial parks which are located throughout the state.
Much of the economic activity found in Illinois comes from Chicago, whether this is in car production and the Amtrak commuter rail system, or the various financial institutions, including the Chicago Stock Exchange.
Despite the devastating fire of 1871, Chicago, and the state of Illinois, have continued to boom over the years, and are perhaps most famous (or infamous) historically for giving rise to Prohibition-era bootleggers and gangsters, including Al Capone.