42. Kentucky

Ty Wright | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A worker puts the finishing touches on bourbon barrels before they are sent to the shipping department at the Brown-Forman Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky.

Category	Score	2018 Rank	2017 Rank	Score
Workforce	129	49	47	F
Infrastructure	251	7	6	A-
Cost of Doing Business	233	10	3	A
Economy	89	47	29 (Tie)	D-
Quality of Life	124	37	41	D-
Technology & Innovation	86	36	38	D
Education	76	39	30 (Tie)	D
Business Friendliness	27	46	44	F
Access to Capital	39	30	27	D+
Cost of Living	35	16	10	B
Overall	1089	42	35	-

Economic Profile

Governor: Matt Bevin, Republican

Population: 4,454,189

GDP growth (Q4 2017): 2.7 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2018): 4.1 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 6 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 6 percent

Gasoline tax: 26 cents/gallon

Bond rating (Moody's/S&P): Aa3, stable/A, stable

Major private employers: Humana, Yum! Brands

Economic profile sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute (excluding 18.40 cent/gallon federal tax), Moody's Investor Service, S&P Global Market Intelligence

Overall Rankings 2018