#5 North Dakota
Matthew Staver | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Watford City, North Dakota
| Category | Score | 2012 Rank | 2011 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Doing Business | 221 | 16 | 20 |
| Workforce | 233 | 10 | 24 |
| Quality of Life | 250 | 5 | 9 |
| Infrastructure & Transportation | 202 | 15 | 28 |
| Economy | 232 | 2 | 1 |
| Education | 132 | 19 | 23 |
| Technology & Innovation | 51 | 47 | 48 |
| Business Friendliness | 164 | 4 | 9 |
| Access to Capital | 21 | 43 | 35 |
| Cost of Living | 23 | 28 | 19 |
| OVERALL | 1529 | 5 | 13 |
ECONOMIC PROFILE
Governor: Jack Dalrymple (R)
Population: 683,932
GDP (per capita): $50,096
Number of S&P 500 companies: 0
Top corporate tax rate: 5.20 percent
Top individual tax rate: 3.99 percent
Gasoline taxes/fees: 23.0 cents
Bond Rating/Outlook: Aa1/Stable
SAT scores (average): 1759/2400
Degree Granting Institutions (colleges/universities): 21Sources: 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
