America’s Top States for Business

To rank America’s Top States for Business in 2021, CNBC scored all 50 states on 85 metrics in 10 broad categories of competitiveness. Each category is weighted based on how frequently states use them as a selling point in economic development marketing materials. That way, our study ranks the states based on the attributes they use to sell themselves. We developed our criteria and metrics in consultation with a diverse array of business and policy experts, and the states. Our study is not an opinion survey. We use data from a variety of sources to measure the states’ performance. Under our methodology, states can earn a maximum of 2,500 points. The states with the most are America’s Top States for Business.

OVERALL	STATE	COST OF DOING BUSINESS	INFRASTRUCTURE	LIFE, HEALTH & INCLUSION	WORKFORCE	ECONOMY	BUSINESS FRIENDLINESS	ACCESS TO CAPITAL	TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION	EDUCATION	COST OF LIVING
1	Virginia	26	24	11	3	13	11	9	16	2	32
2	North Carolina	15	21	37	6	4	9	8	10	17	23
3	Utah	22	7	27	17	3	10	17	19	26	26
4	Texas	10	13	49	1	5	32	3	12	33	13
5	Tennessee	8	4	46	25	2	20	14	32	23	8
6	Georgia	29	6	45	8	6	22	10	22	24	8
7	Minnesota	42	12	4	29	18	28	14	4	5	30
8	Colorado	38	22	14	2	9	29	16	6	30	34
9	Washington	36	29	7	7	16	39	11	4	14	38
10	Ohio	2	11	34	38	15	47	7	15	21	14
11	Michigan	16	18	28	28	24	25	20	6	42	11
12	Maryland	43	8	20	10	20	26	18	2	18	44
13	Nebraska	24	33	9	40	7	6	39	37	11	16
14	Massachusetts	49	29	8	9	28	32	6	2	1	46
15	Illinois	29	1	24	19	48	48	3	13	10	21
16	Idaho	13	37	21	30	1	2	45	31	46	19
17	Florida	32	5	40	12	11	37	5	28	27	28
18	North Dakota	18	17	3	38	34	3	47	42	13	25
19	Indiana	9	3	41	43	21	12	24	25	36	10
20	Iowa	13	35	5	37	26	34	36	23	20	12
21	Wisconsin	19	27	31	36	31	23	21	16	8	23
22	New York	41	13	18	19	12	49	2	9	8	49
23	Pennsylvania	28	13	33	22	41	39	12	14	5	33
24	Connecticut	45	18	24	15	32	8	18	8	11	43
25	Missouri	5	25	47	45	10	23	22	24	22	5
26	New Jersey	44	16	10	11	39	42	12	20	3	41
27	Delaware	34	8	35	14	8	13	38	20	39	35
28	Kansas	16	22	32	32	43	15	29	34	16	2
29	South Dakota	12	48	15	47	17	1	34	46	18	28
30	Arizona	37	8	50	5	14	7	26	27	41	31
31	Alabama	22	32	44	35	29	19	25	33	34	6
32	Oklahoma	1	34	36	32	40	18	27	45	50	3
33	California	47	27	26	4	27	50	1	1	36	48
34	Montana	20	43	17	48	18	5	41	35	28	27
35	Oregon	33	26	16	19	29	44	28	10	31	47
36	Wyoming	25	29	22	34	43	4	49	40	15	20
37	New Hampshire	35	45	11	30	37	13	40	18	4	36
38	New Mexico	11	47	30	13	46	38	31	30	48	7
39	South Carolina	31	36	39	16	21	27	30	36	36	22
40	Nevada	27	2	47	24	23	16	35	50	49	37
41	Kentucky	6	20	29	45	45	41	32	38	34	18
42	Vermont	38	46	1	50	33	31	49	26	5	40
43	Arkansas	4	43	43	42	24	34	37	42	43	4
44	Louisiana	3	40	42	25	50	45	23	47	40	17
45	Mississippi	7	38	37	41	42	43	32	48	43	1
46	Rhode Island	46	42	13	23	36	30	41	28	28	42
47	West Virginia	21	41	22	44	35	46	47	49	45	15
48	Maine	40	50	5	49	37	21	41	42	24	39
49	Hawaii	50	39	2	18	49	36	41	41	31	50
50	Alaska	48	49	19	27	47	16	46	39	47	45

America’s Top States for Business

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