10. North Dakota

Nearly a decade of dizzying economic growth is starting to unsettle the Peace Garden State. Despite an influx of commerce, the state still trails in education and technology.

Published 4:15 PM ET Tue, 24 June 2014 Updated 3:24 PM ET Wed, 2 July 2014 CNBC.com

Category	Score	2014 Rank	2013 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	263	22	12
Workforce	202	8 (Tie)	8
Quality of Life	228	5	5
Infrastructure & Transportation	226	10 (Tie)	2
Economy	285	7	2
Education	84	22 (Tie)	36
Technology & Innovation	36	49	46
Business Friendliness	161	7	6
Cost of Living	39	12 (Tie)	30
Access to Capital	3	45 (Tie)	29
Overall	1527	10	3

Economic Profile

Governor: Jack, Dalrymple, Republican

Population: 723,393

GDP growth: 9.7 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2014): 2.6 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 4.53 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 3.22 percent

Gasoline tax: 41 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aa1/stable

Major private employer: Sanford-Health

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, North Dakota Workforce Intelligence Network

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