America's Top States For Business '09

Technology & Innovation - 2009

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

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

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