Per capita income in the Decatur metropolitan statistical area grew 5.2 percent between 2006 and 2007, the highest rate in North Alabama.

That’s according to a survey published Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which reported Huntsville’s per capita income growth for the same period as 4 percent.

The Decatur metropolitan area includes all of Morgan and Lawrence counties. The Huntsville metropolitan area includes Madison and Limestone counties.

Decatur per capita income grew by $1,610, from $30,683 in 2006 to $32,293 in 2007. Its growth was in the top 40 percent of the nation and was the second highest in the state.

Huntsville per capita income grew by $1,395, from $34,689 in 2006 to $36,084 in 2007.

While Decatur income grew faster than most other metropolitan areas in the nation, its per capita income ranked 211 out of the 363 metropolitan areas surveyed. Huntsville ranked 117.

Decatur per capita income growth also exceeded the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area’s, which had 5.1 percent. Birmingham-Hoover’s per capita income was the highest in the state, at $39,247.

Florence-Muscle Shoals had 4.9 percent growth in its per capita income between 2006 and 2007, climbing from $27,025 to $28,362.

The highest per capita income growth in the state was in Anniston-Oxford, at 5.7 percent, bringing its 2007 income to $30,614.

Montgomery grew by 4.1 percent, to $34,333. Tuscaloosa per capita income was up 4.5 percent, to $32,051. Mobile per capita income was $28,531, up 4.3 percent.