21. Oregon

Residents of the Beaver State are eager to brag about their quality of life. But it is one of the priciest states to live in.

Category
Score
2015 Rank
2014 Rank
Workforce 197 37 39
Cost of Doing Business 186 27 33
Infrastructure 157 37 23
Economy 192 22 10
Quality of Life 244 6 13
Technology & Innovation 171 13 22
Education 77 40 (Tie) 39
Business Friendliness 68 26 26
Cost of Living 11 44 37
Access to Capital 29 22 15
Overall 1332 21 22

Economic Profile

Governor: Kate Brown, Democrat

Population: 3,970,239

GDP growth: 3.6 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2015): 5.3 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 7.6 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 9.9 percent

Gasoline tax: 49 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aa1/stable

Major private employer: Intel Corp.

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Portland Business Journal

FULL LIST: 2015 TOP STATES FOR BUSINESS

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