The 10 Richest States in Mexico
Mexico is a varied country. This can be seen in the sheer range of the country’s landscapes, which include everything from deserts in the north and rainforests in the south to a mix of mountains and canyons in the center.
Similarly, different regions of Mexico can have very different levels of economic development, so much so that the country sits at the cusp between developed and developing economies. As such, interested individuals might be curious about which parts of Mexico are the richest.
10. Baja California – $23,740
Baja California is one of the two provinces that make up the Baja California Peninsula in Northwestern Mexico. It occupies the north, while its counterpart Baja California Sur occupies the south.
In total, Baja California is home to more than 3.7 million people. However, the extent of its urbanization can be seen in how more than 75 percent of its population live in the three cities of Mexicali, Ensenada, and Tijuana. Due to Baja California’s location on the border, much of its economy consists of manufacturing meant for export to the United States.
9. Quintana Roo – $23,996
Situated on the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo is on the other end of the country from Baja California. As such, much of the state has what is called a tropical wet and dry climate, meaning that it is drier than a tropical monsoon climate.
This has provided Quintana Roo with a winning combination of lush forests and beautiful beaches, which are on top of Maya ruins. Due to this, it should come as no surprise to learn that a lot of outsiders are most familiar with the state because of its tourism sector.
8. Aguascalientes – $27,126
Aguascalientes is one of the smallest Mexican states. For context, it is the 27th most populated state out of 32 states. However, it is also the 29th state when it comes to the size of its land, with the result that it is one of the most densely-populated states.
At various points in time, Aguascalientes has been known for wine-making as well as silver mining. In the present time, it is better-known for its tourism as well as its car manufacturing.
7. Sonora – $28,495
Sonora is another of the Mexican states that border the United States. In fact, it is located right next to Baja California. Regardless, much of Sonora’s economy has been focused on a mix of tourism, industry, and agribusiness for a very long time. Something that has been responsible for a lot of immigration from other parts of Mexico to the state.
6. Queretaro – $29,229
Queretaro is a small state that can be found in North-Central Mexico. However, it is interesting in that it nonetheless possesses a wide range of landscapes, as shown by its deserts as well as its rainforests. Queretaro is dominated by the city of Queretaro, which boasts some of the best soil for farming as well as raising cattle in the region.
Moreover, it is directly connected to Mexico City, thus making it an important destination for the flow of goods both north and south. Perhaps unsurprisingly, its location has spurred a fair amount of economic development in Queretaro.
5. Coahuila – $31,665
Coahuila can claim to be Mexico’s top mining state. In part, this is because it is home to about 95 percent of the country’s coal reserves, which still see a fair amount of use in the country.
However, it should also be mentioned that Coahuila boasts both considerable silver reserves and considerable gold reserves, both of which have been much prized for centuries. On top of this, the state has an automobile industry as well, though this is still relatively new.
4. Baja California Sur – $32,418
Baja California Sur is less populated than its northern counterpart. However, it has a higher GDP per capita. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry exist in the state. However, they have become much less important in the present than in the past.
Instead, Baja California Sur’s economy is much more reliant on commerce and services, with its tourism sector being a particular stand-out. In this, the state has benefited from its natural assets, though much effort has also been put in making the other associated infrastructure available. Besides these, there are also mining and construction.
3. Nuevo Leon – $37,105
Nuevo Leon was named for the Kingdom of Nuevo Leon, which in turn, was named for the Kingdom of Leon over in Spain. It is one of the bigger states when it comes to population, not least because it is home to the Monterrey Metropolitan Area with its more than 5.3 million people.
On the whole, Nuevo Leon is one of the most industrialized parts of Mexico, which is why it is also home of some of the country’s biggest corporations. Simultaneously, the state also boasts a rich agricultural core. Something that has seen improving performances because of increased investment in recent times.
2. Mexico City – $47,924
Strictly speaking, Mexico City isn’t a state. However, it is nonetheless one of the 32 first-level administrative territorial entities that make up the country. In any case, Mexico City has a long history, seeing as how its historical center sits on what was once the Mexica city-state of Tenochtitlan.
Even in those times, it was the single biggest population center in the whole of the pre-Colombian Americas. Nowadays, well, suffice to say that Mexico City is the single biggest population center in the whole of North America with more than 9.2 million people.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this means that it is an economic powerhouse, so much so that it is responsible for more than 15 percent of Mexico’s total GDP. In fact, even if Mexico City was considered on its own, it would still be considered one of the biggest economies in the entire world.
1. Campeche – $67,233
Campeche started out from the Spanish-founded city of the same name. In those times, the city was a rich and prosperous port that underwent severe decline following the Mexican War of Independence.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that Campeche saw an economic revival because of the discovery of petroleum off of its coast. Unfortunately, there is a huge difference between the oil workers who tend to come from out-of-state and the locals who tend to work in other sectors, which is not revealed by the state’s high GDP per capita.
