6. Minnesota

The Land of 10,000 Lakes offers a superior quality of life, a vibrant economy and a robust infrastructure. On the flip side: High taxes have businesses swimming in expenses.

Published 4:18 PM ET Tue, 24 June 2014 Updated 3:25 PM ET Wed, 2 July 2014 CNBC.com

Category	Score	2014 Rank	2013 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	165	38	39
Workforce	137	(Tie) 30	32
Quality of Life	229	4	3
Infrastructure & Transportation	244	5	8
Economy	290	5	10
Education	95	(Tie) 12	23
Technology & Innovation	225	11	18
Business Friendliness	138	15	15
Cost of Living	23	28	34
Access to Capital	20	(Tie) 11	17
Overall	1566	6	15

Economic Profile

Governor: Mark Dayton, Democrat

Population: 5,420,380

GDP growth: 2.8 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2014): 4.7 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 9.8 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 9.85 percent

Gasoline tax: 47 percent

Bond rating/outlook: Aa1/stable

Major private employer: Mayo Foundation

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Minnesota FY 2013 CAFR

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