Americas Top States For Business 2010

Cost of Doing Business - 2010

Cost is a major consideration when a company chooses a state. We looked at the tax burden, including individual income and property taxes, business taxes, even the gasoline tax. Utility costs can add up to a huge expense for business, and they vary widely by state. We also looked at the cost of wages and state workers’ compensation insurance, as well as rental costs for office and industrial space.

Here are the ten categories ranked in our study:

     - Cost of Doing Business
     - Workforce
     - Quality of Life
     - Economy
     - Transportation & Infrastructure

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

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