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America's Top States for Business 2009

Top States 2009: Overall Rankings

We scored all 50 states—using publicly available data—on 40 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, we separated those metrics into the ten broad categories, with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers. We weighted the categories based on how frequently each is cited in state economic development marketing materials.

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