27. California

Funding and innovation abound in the Golden State, but you’ll pay dearly for them with high costs and heavy regulation.

Category
Score
2015 Rank
2014 Rank
Workforce 217 26 36
Cost of Doing Business 76 49 48
Infrastructure 181 28 (Tie) 24
Economy 235 7 9
Quality of Life 208 15 (Tie) 23
Technology & Innovation 203 2 1
Education 93 32 (Tie) 26
Business Friendliness 13 50 48
Cost of Living 8 46 47
Access to Capital 50 1 (Tie) 1
Overall 1284 27 32

Economic Profile

Governor: Jerry Brown, Democrat

Population: 38,802,500

GDP growth: 2.8 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2015): 6.4 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 8.84 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 12.3 percent

Gasoline tax: 61 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: A1/stable

Major private employer: Kaiser Permanente

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, San Francisco Center for Economic Development

FULL LIST: 2015 TOP STATES FOR BUSINESS

Latest Special Reports

  • CNBC Changemakers

    CNBC Changemakers: Women Transforming Business is an annual list spotlighting women whose accomplishments have left an indelible mark on the business world.

  • CNBC Crypto World will feature the latest news and daily trading updates including analysis of major moves as well as breakouts on key innovations such as new currencies and the evolution of the digital wallet.

  • Geoff Cutmore, Steve Sedgwick and Karen Tso lead you into the open of the European markets.