1. Georgia

The Peach State is the cream of the crop for 2014, with the nation’s best workforce and the top infrastructure. But education and quality of life remain weak spots.

Published 4:18 PM ET Tue, 24 June 2014 Updated 3:10 PM ET Wed, 2 July 2014 CNBC.com

Category	Score	2014 Rank	2013 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	268	20	28
Workforce	225	1	1
Quality of Life	133	32	32
Infrastructure & Transportation	254	1 (Tie)	18
Economy	309	3	19
Education	68	32	8
Technology & Innovation	212	16	17
Business Friendliness	141	14	14
Cost of Living	29	22	14
Access to Capital	20	11 (Tie)	5
Overall	1659	1	8

Economic Profile

Governor: Nathan Deal, Republican

Population: 9,992,167

GDP growth: 1.8 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2014): 7.0 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 6 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 6 percent

Gasoline tax: 46 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aaa/stable

Major private employer: Delta Air Lines

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administers, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Metro Atlanta Chamber

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