If Idaho's lower cost of living was enough to make up for the state's low per-capita income, then residents would be spending about the same share of their income on the basic necessities, Watson said.

Wages for Idaho jobs such service industry and call center positions are slightly lower than those paid for similar jobs in other states. But those lower-paying jobs are largely the only ones available to many Idaho residents, Watson said.

``The reason why we have low incomes is because the jobs in Idaho, on average, are just low-paying jobs,'' he said. ``So it's not an issue of just work harder and be more productive and more efficient. It's how do we attract higher paying industries?''

Idaho residents spent about $4,695 per person on health care, according to the report. That was the third-lowest per capita health care spending in the nation in 2012, after Nevada and Utah. The report shows Idahoans spent about $2,600 per person on food and groceries, about $1,855 per person for gas and $5,735 per person for housing in 2012.

Overall, spending on housing and utilities remained largely steady in Idaho since Great Recession officially ended, totaling about $8.9 billion in 2009 compared to about $9.1 billion in 2012.

But spending on gasoline and other energy goods increased dramatically, from about $1.8 billion in 2009 to $2.9 billion in 2012. The report doesn't offer any details on why gas spending increased — whether it's because more people are driving to work now than in 2009, for instance, or whether it's because gas prices increased.

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