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49. West Virginia

The Mountain State has low business costs, but also a mountain of regulations and a persistent lack of innovation.

Category
Score
2015 Rank
2014 Rank
Workforce 163 44 (Tie) 44
Cost of Doing Business 245 7 18
Infrastructure 121 42 40
Economy 146 36 (Tie) 39
Quality of Life 108 40 39
Technology & Innovation 56 50 48
Education 91 34 28
Business Friendliness 15 48 (Tie) 50
Cost of Living 41 24 5
Access to Capital 8 45 49
Overall 994 49 48

Economic Profile

Governor: Earl Ray Tomblin, Democrat

Population: 1,850,326

GDP growth: 5.1 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2015): 7.2 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 6.5 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 6.5 percent

Gasoline tax: 53 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aa1/stable

Major private employer: Wal-Mart, West Virginia United Health System

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

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