Average checking account balances in Ohio rose last year, but consumers in the state still have one of the lowest average balances in the nation, according to a recent survey.

Ohio consumers had an average account balance of $2,628 in non-interest bank checking accounts in 2011, up 11 percent from 2010, according to a Pitney Bowes Software, a global technology company.

But only consumers in 10 other states had lower account balances, and the average savings account balance of Ohio consumers dipped last year.

“The drop in savings account balances makes sense given the economy and how low the interest rates are on those typical savings accounts,” said David Rothstein, project director of asset building with Policy Matters Ohio. “Many people have only a checking account and ‘save’ just by trying to increase that balance.”

Consumers in six states last year saw their average checking account balances decrease, and seven others saw increases that did not keep up with inflation.

But Ohio was one of 17 states to see a double-digit percentage increase in the size of consumers’ checking accounts. Nationwide, average balances for consumer bank checking accounts grew 5.2 percent to $3,100 last year.

Still, the average balance of checking accounts in Ohio were the 11th lowest nationwide. New Jersey had the highest average balance with $4,465. New Mexico had the lowest with $2,206.

Ohio was also one of 10 states where the average balance of consumers’ savings accounts dropped. It fell 0.78 percent to $5,564 last year from $5,608 in 2010. Ohio was 32nd in the nation for the average size of consumers’ savings accounts. New Jersey had the highest balance ($7,872), and New Mexico had the lowest ($4,119).

The difference in account balances nationwide is not very dramatic, but obviously it would be better if Ohioans had more in their accounts, because that would reflect stronger incomes, Rothstein said.

Research by Policy Matters found that incomes for many Ohioans have stagnated, and a survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. found more residents lack traditional bank accounts, which often means they must use sometimes expensive alternative financial products, he said.