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10. Iowa

Low costs and an all-American quality of life propel the Hawkeye State into the Top 10. But workforce development is lacking.

Category
Score
2015 Rank
2014 Rank
Workforce 163 44 (Tie) 37
Cost of Doing Business 244 8 7
Infrastructure 181 28 (Tie) 25
Economy 230 10 18
Quality of Life 230 9 (Tie) 20
Technology & Innovation 135 24 (Tie) 29
Education 117 18 (Tie) 22
Business Friendliness 87 19 (Tie) 9
Cost of Living 56 14 12
Access to Capital 12 39 (Tie) 49
Overall 1455 10 12

Economic Profile

Governor: Terry Branstad, Republican

Population: 3,107,126

GDP growth: 0.4 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2015): 3.8 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 12 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 8.98 percent

Gasoline tax: 50 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aaa/stable

Major private employer: Hy-Vee Food Stores

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Iowa FY 2014 CAFR

FULL LIST: 2015 TOP STATES FOR BUSINESS

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