Top States 2013: Overall Rankings
We scored all 50 states on 51 measures of competitiveness developed with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, we separated those metrics into ten broad categories, weighting the categories based on how frequently they are cited in state economic development marketing materials. That way, our study ranks the states based on the criteria they use to sell themselves.
Overall Ranking
Overall Rank |
State |
Cost of Doing Business |
Economy |
Infrastructure |
Workforce |
Quality of Life |
Technology & Innovation |
Business Friendliness |
Education |
Cost of Living |
Access to Capital |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Dakota | 1 | 6 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 48 | 2 | 30 | 26 | 39 |
2 | Texas | 35 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 41 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
3 | North Dakota | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 46 | 6 | 36 | 30 | 29 |
4 | Nebraska | 10 | 4 | 16 | 23 | 4 | 36 | 3 | 30 | 5 | 39 |
5 | Utah | 21 | 10 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 4 | 39 | 11 | 7 |
5 | Virginia | 38 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 13 |
7 | Colorado | 37 | 7 | 23 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 11 |
8 | Georgia | 28 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 32 | 17 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 5 |
9 | Wyoming | 9 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 47 | 8 | 20 | 27 | 39 |
10 | Idaho | 7 | 31 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 37 | 5 | 33 | 3 | 39 |
11 | Iowa | 13 | 5 | 28 | 40 | 14 | 30 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 31 |
12 | North Carolina | 32 | 13 | 31 | 3 | 30 | 10 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 15 |
13 | Tennessee | 14 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 49 | 25 | 18 | 45 | 2 | 27 |
14 | Kansas | 27 | 21 | 4 | 17 | 24 | 29 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 35 |
15 | Minnesota | 39 | 10 | 8 | 32 | 3 | 18 | 15 | 23 | 34 | 17 |
16 | Massachusetts | 47 | 3 | 40 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 43 | 1 |
17 | Oregon | 36 | 16 | 13 | 39 | 8 | 14 | 25 | 26 | 38 | 11 |
18 | Indiana | 26 | 32 | 5 | 27 | 39 | 24 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 25 |
19 | Montana | 5 | 19 | 12 | 34 | 12 | 40 | 43 | 23 | 30 | 39 |
20 | Arizona | 31 | 43 | 10 | 2 | 29 | 19 | 16 | 49 | 35 | 33 |
21 | Washington | 44 | 24 | 31 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 7 |
22 | Wisconsin | 28 | 34 | 17 | 40 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 13 | 28 | 21 |
23 | South Carolina | 8 | 35 | 15 | 9 | 41 | 26 | 34 | 36 | 19 | 19 |
24 | Arkansas | 4 | 18 | 34 | 7 | 40 | 38 | 43 | 15 | 7 | 37 |
25 | Oklahoma | 2 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 45 | 35 | 28 | 48 | 1 | 37 |
26 | Missouri | 19 | 17 | 5 | 48 | 47 | 22 | 29 | 20 | 11 | 23 |
27 | New Hampshire | 18 | 43 | 45 | 33 | 9 | 27 | 13 | 2 | 40 | 15 |
28 | Ohio | 23 | 22 | 11 | 47 | 44 | 16 | 33 | 12 | 14 | 17 |
29 | Michigan | 33 | 26 | 25 | 15 | 43 | 12 | 32 | 32 | 18 | 23 |
30 | Florida | 40 | 38 | 29 | 4 | 28 | 11 | 35 | 28 | 29 | 27 |
31 | Delaware | 24 | 27 | 39 | 30 | 34 | 39 | 1 | 34 | 37 | 14 |
32 | Vermont | 22 | 8 | 48 | 49 | 2 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 41 | 31 |
33 | Alabama | 6 | 40 | 27 | 25 | 45 | 34 | 37 | 36 | 13 | 39 |
33 | New Mexico | 15 | 30 | 23 | 38 | 26 | 32 | 47 | 46 | 25 | 29 |
35 | New York | 49 | 14 | 42 | 45 | 22 | 1 | 30 | 2 | 47 | 3 |
36 | Kentucky | 17 | 42 | 14 | 31 | 38 | 31 | 37 | 43 | 3 | 39 |
37 | Illinois | 44 | 45 | 5 | 29 | 30 | 5 | 36 | 22 | 23 | 25 |
38 | Maine | 16 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 5 | 32 | 27 | 27 | 39 | 33 |
39 | Pennsylvania | 44 | 29 | 33 | 44 | 33 | 5 | 41 | 6 | 33 | 5 |
40 | Maryland | 41 | 33 | 46 | 20 | 25 | 9 | 45 | 2 | 42 | 9 |
41 | Mississippi | 3 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 37 | 44 | 49 | 47 | 10 | 39 |
42 | New Jersey | 42 | 48 | 43 | 21 | 23 | 15 | 41 | 1 | 46 | 9 |
43 | Louisiana | 10 | 35 | 41 | 22 | 50 | 28 | 39 | 40 | 20 | 35 |
44 | Alaska | 25 | 23 | 38 | 36 | 35 | 50 | 10 | 35 | 49 | 39 |
45 | Connecticut | 43 | 39 | 49 | 37 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 5 | 48 | 19 |
46 | Nevada | 30 | 50 | 30 | 13 | 47 | 42 | 22 | 50 | 17 | 39 |
47 | California | 50 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 27 | 2 | 48 | 43 | 45 | 1 |
48 | West Virginia | 19 | 27 | 37 | 50 | 36 | 49 | 50 | 42 | 24 | 39 |
49 | Rhode Island | 34 | 49 | 47 | 42 | 20 | 42 | 46 | 23 | 44 | 21 |
50 | Hawaii | 48 | 41 | 50 | 45 | 1 | 45 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 39 |
Correction:
This chart briefly displayed incorrect data. It has now been corrected.