Per-capita personal income for Central Texans grew at a pace above the national average during 2007, according to new data from the federal government.

Income grew by 6.6 percent in ’07 over ’06, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported.

That rate was less than growth from ’06 to ’07, though, in the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan statistical area. The ’06 growth rate was almost 10 percent.

A general decline in growth was seen in most Texas MSAs last year.

In the Midland MSA, for example, per capita personal income grew by 14 percent in ’06 over ’05. The ’07 rate was about half that.

The national average was 6.2 percent in 2007.

The BEA said the rate slowed last year in 208 MSAs, grew in 144 and was flat in 11. The three fastest growing MSAs were all hard hit by Hurricane Katrina and benefited from significant federal funding and growth in population in general.

The slowest growing MSAs were all in the so-called Rust Belt.

The BEA figures per capita personal income by adding up all personal income and dividing by the number of people.

Thus, it does not reflect individual family or household earnings.

In fact, few families in this MSA have earnings of $90,000 (assuming a typical family has three members).

The Census Bureau issued an estimate last October that Bell County’s median family income was $54,800 when adjusted for 2006 dollars.

“A lot of people assume that students in Temple Independent School District are from wealthy homes,” said Dr. Robin Battershell, superintendent. “In fact, 64 percent of our students receive free or reduced-price lunches. That’s a little over 5,000 kids.”

The Texas Education Agency reports that 44 percent of children in Belton schools and 49 percent in Killeen schools are economically disadvantaged.