America's Top States For Business

Technology & Innovation - 2008

Succeeding in the new economy—or any economy—takes innovation. The top states for business prize innovation, nurture new ideas, and have the infrastructure to support them. We evaluated the states on their support for innovation, the number of patents issued to their residents, and the deployment of broadband services.

Here are the ten categories ranked in our study:

- Cost of Doing Business
- Workforce
- Economy
- Education
- Quality of Life
- Technology & Innovation
- Transportation
- Cost of Living
- Business Friendliness
- Access to Capital

Overall	State	Cost of Business	Workforce	Economy	Education	Quality of Life	Technology & Innovation	Transportation	Cost of Living	Business Friendliness	Access to Capital
25	California	48	21	7	31	4	1	16	49	48	1
18(tie)	New Jersey	45	40	21	4	1	2	36	48	35	8
26	New York	50	49	2	1	3	2	25	46	42	5
15	Massachusetts	41	34	25	1	15	4	36	42	13	2
1	Texas	27	12	1	30	22	4	1	3	20	3
18(tie)	Washington	35	37	11	17	9	6	22	36	34	4
30(tie)	Illinois	44	44	14	25	16	7	12	23	35	12
40	Michigan	34	39	48	28	23	8	21	25	39	24
17	Florida	42	1	20	39	23	9	18	34	16	9
23	Pennsylvania	38	43	32	6	12	9	16	29	28	6
36	Maryland	33	41	25	22	37	11	40	45	20	7
10	Minnesota	29	31	27	9	5	11	8	31	16	15
5	Colorado	25	13	11	35	7	13	35	30	5	11
2	Virginia	11	8	17	11	28	14	13	27	2	13
34	Connecticut	47	38	30	5	11	15	44	44	16	17
8	Georgia	16	3	31	32	42	16	2	9	14	14
30(tie)	Ohio	30	46	40	12	19	17	2	16	42	20
6	North Carolina	22	3	23	27	38	18	15	20	10	10
12	Arizona	23	6	8	43	36	19	25	35	6	18
20	Oregon	18	14	35	29	26	20	11	39	27	16
3	Utah	10	10	3	46	6	21	32	24	6	19
37	Wisconsin	36	47	36	9	25	22	13	22	28	27
13	Indiana	6	27	37	19	31	23	4	11	3	28
27	New Hampshire	32	33	41	7	2	24	45	40	6	21
21	Tennessee	13	5	37	42	43	25	7	1	9	29
24	Missouri	8	26	43	19	39	26	10	5	23	26
4	Idaho	5	7	5	48	26	27	24	14	33	34
41	Delaware	31	23	18	26	46	28	47	33	1	41
45	Nevada	37	16	34	49	34	29	18	38	23	32
48	Rhode Island	46	18	49	17	29	30	48	43	47	39
9	Iowa	2	25	29	15	17	31	39	13	11	42
11	Kansas	24	11	21	13	33	31	8	8	11	30
29	South Carolina	9	2	39	37	49	31	4	15	28	25
39	Vermont	40	34	42	3	10	31	46	41	16	38
28	Oklahoma	6	30	3	45	41	35	34	4	23	35
22	Nebraska	19	28	28	21	12	36	29	7	28	49
38	New Mexico	21	32	8	44	44	36	22	26	46	23
35	Kentucky	14	20	45	38	40	38	6	18	28	22
42	Alabama	19	22	23	47	45	39	43	11	39	31
43	Louisiana	28	28	14	40	50	40	25	19	41	33
44	Maine	43	45	44	8	14	41	40	37	23	40
50	Alaska	38	42	50	41	35	42	50	47	35	49
32	Arkansas	3	9	33	33	47	43	36	6	35	47
49	Hawaii	49	50	13	34	8	43	49	50	49	43
33	Montana	26	36	10	16	30	45	29	31	44	45
46	Mississippi	17	15	46	50	48	46	31	10	44	37
16	North Dakota	4	23	18	23	19	47	20	17	14	46
14	Wyoming	12	17	6	14	17	48	33	28	22	47
47	West Virginia	15	48	46	36	32	49	42	21	50	36
7	South Dakota	1	19	14	24	21	50	25	2	4	44

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