Johnson County boasts the most economic growth in the Kansas City metro area, according to recent GDP data. Johnson County’s 2021 real GDP was about $48 million, up from $46.2 million in 2020. In 2019, its real GDP was $46.3 million. That’s according to an analysis by The Business Journals of the latest gross domestic product county data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis , which provides new insights about the economic recovery from Covid-19. Of a ranking of Missouri and Kansas counties, St. Louis County came in at No. 1 in Missouri. Jackson County ranked No. 2, with a 2021 real GDP of $44.1 million, up from $41.9 million in 2020. In Kansas, Sedgwick County was No. 2, with Wyandotte County at No. 3. Wyandotte County’s 2021 real GDP was $10.9 million, an improvement over $10.8 million in 2020. More than 77% of counties across the nation posted GDP growth between 2020 and 2021 as the economic recovery ramped up, a trend that fueled substantial hiring — which in turn eventually contributed to labor shortages, pay growth and inflation. The average county posted a 3.3% increase. The national GDP increased 5.9% between 2020 and 2021 to $19.4 trillion. […]