America's Top States For Business '09

Economy - 2009

A solid economy is good for business. So is a diverse economy, with access to the biggest players in a variety of industries. We looked at basic indicators of economic health and growth. We also gave credit to states based on the number of major corporations located there.

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
2	Texas	33	14	32	1	1	3	30	20	4	7
13	Wyoming	14	16	5	2	27	50	16	25	36	25
23	Oklahoma	9	29	37	3	42	36	46	16	27	1
4	Iowa	1	21	20	4	31	24	14	11	34	15
3	Colorado	22	12	10	5	36	11	33	5	9	32
7	Kansas	23	10	28	6	9	27	11	12	24	5
11	Nebraska	12	24	15	7	17	32	19	6	36	11
1	Virginia	26	8	18	7	10	12	7	2	18	27
6	Minnesota	30	28	13	9	12	9	10	18	19	32
38	Montana	27	40	21	9	24	45	17	41	36	31
46	West Virginia	10	48	39	11	39	49	35	50	36	15
8	Massachusetts	40	26	6	12	31	5	1	17	2	36
32	California	49	23	19	12	15	1	31	49	1	49
21	New Hampshire	34	30	1	14	47	31	5	9	30	40
5	Utah	7	9	7	14	34	26	29	7	23	21
27	Maryland	42	35	29	14	36	14	13	19	8	45
30	Vermont	35	32	2	17	46	39	4	26	36	43
16(tie)	Washington	32	35	11	18	30	6	18	37	5	34
31	Arkansas	3	11	44	19	33	44	32	32	36	1
36	New York	50	50	16	20	23	2	2	42	3	47
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
44	Louisiana	21	35	50	21	40	37	40	32	25	25
49	Hawaii	48	47	4	24	49	42	40	48	28	49
14	Missouri	4	34	41	25	6	21	21	23	26	5
40	Maine	39	45	8	26	36	41	8	24	29	38
45	Mississippi	14	22	43	27	43	43	50	46	36	11
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
35	Connecticut	47	42	2	30	43	22	9	20	17	43
22	Idaho	11	7	17	30	28	37	47	29	36	13
43	New Mexico	25	33	30	32	21	32	48	45	21	29
18(tie)	Arizona	23	4	35	33	25	20	45	7	22	34
29	Ohio	29	46	36	33	2	10	15	43	14	17
39	Alabama	18	14	47	33	26	30	37	34	31	9
26	Wisconsin	27	44	23	36	11	18	11	30	32	21
33	Pennsylvania	41	43	26	37	15	8	6	36	7	27
10	Georgia	17	1	42	38	3	17	27	15	15	3
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
42	Delaware	37	19	45	41	45	32	21	1	35	29
9	North Carolina	16	2	31	42	8	13	24	12	36	19
28	Florida	43	3	27	43	18	15	40	26	12	40
34	Kentucky	8	19	46	44	4	32	35	31	33	9
41	Michigan	31	39	40	45	20	7	34	39	10	23
15	Indiana	13	31	32	46	4	23	21	4	36	13
50	Alaska	44	49	38	47	50	46	43	37	36	47
37	South Carolina	5	6	48	47	41	29	39	35	36	19
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

Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
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