PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s economic outlook ranked 48th among states in a new study from the American Legislative Exchange Council, which said the state’s ranking suffered because of what it characterized as high income and property taxes and an estate tax.

The second annual Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index ranked Massachusetts 26th and Connecticut 32nd.

At the same time, Rhode Island ranked 30th in economic performance in the study, based on personal income per capita growth between 1997 and 2007, absolute domestic migration from 1998 to 2007 and payroll employment growth from 1997 to 2007.

And the study gives the state good marks for a relatively low sales tax burden and moderately low workers compensation costs.

The American Legislative Exchange Council, which calls itself a nonpartisan conservative association of state lawmakers and private-sector policy advocates, said its study indicates that the federal stimulus package encourage more state spending nationwide without having to improve their financial stability.

“States were quick to increase spending and add programs during the good times,” said state Sen. Leo Blais, R-Coventry, ALEC’s Rhode Island state chairman. “We need to make tough choices to live within our means and prioritize our budget. The best solution to our budget woes is to control state spending and promote policies that foster economic growth and job creation.”

Rhode Island’s economic outlook ranking, which stood at 45th in the 2008 study, was calculated by the council after looking at 15 “variables,” including top marginal personal income tax rate (7 percent, ranked 33rd), top marginal corporate income tax rate (9 percent, ranked 39th), property tax burden ($48.62 per $1,000 of personal income, ranked 46th).

In the study, Rhode Island came in ahead of Vermont and New York (49th and 50th, respectively) and below New Jersey and Maine (46th and 47th, respectively). The states with the best outlook were Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Virginia and South Dakota.

To read more about the state-to-state comparisons, see the individual state analysis, and view the full report, download it for free at www.alec.org. To view just Rhode Island’s data, go to Rhode Island.