Where a state ranks in terms of its population is a pretty good indicator of where it will rank in terms of the size of its economy relative to other states. For example, California has the largest population and the largest economy. Texas ranks second on each of those. For just over half of states, population and GDP rank line up precisely or are off by just one in either direction. Florida has the third largest population but the fourth largest economy. In contrast, New York now has the fourth largest population after losing so many residents to Florida, but still ranks third economically. Another dozen states are off by two…
