#8 Colorado
Arina Habich | Flickr Open | Getty Images
Denver, Colorado
| Category | Score | 2012 Rank | 2011 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Doing Business | 128 | 40 | 30 |
| Workforce | 253 | 5 | 7 |
| Quality of Life | 246 | 8 | 7 |
| Infrastructure & Transportation | 182 | 23 | 26 |
| Economy | 131 | 33 | 26 |
| Education | 114 | 27 | 30 |
| Technology & Innovation | 173 | 8 | 14 |
| Business Friendliness | 152 | 8 | 6 |
| Access to Capital | 91 | 4 | 15 |
| Cost of Living | 18 | 33 | 33 |
| OVERALL | 1488 | 8 | 5 |
ECONOMIC PROFILE
Governor: John Hickenlooper (D)
Population: 5,116,796
GDP (per capita): $45,792
Number of S&P companies: 9
Top corporate tax rate: 4.63 percent
Top individual tax rate: 4.63 percent
Gasoline taxes/fees: 22.0 cents
Bond Rating/Outlook: Aa1/Stable
SAT scores (average): 1699/2400
Degree Granting Institutions (colleges/universities): 85
Sources: Census Bureau (2011), Standard & Poor's (2012), Tax Foundation (2012), American Petroleum Institute (2012), Bureau Labor Statistics (2011), National Center For Education Statistics (2011), Moody's (2012), CNBC
