38. Delaware

The first state to ratify the Constitution cannot match that No. 1 distinction in most measures of competitiveness.

Wooden Delaware State flag
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Category
Score
2019 Rank
2018 Rank
Grade
Workforce 242 24 14 C-
Economy 213 24 25 B-
Infrastructure 168 31 35 C
Cost of Doing Business 135 38 41 C-
Quality of Life 158 30 39 D+
Education 77 35 26 D+
Technology & Innovation 93 23 24 C+
Business Friendliness 72 33 28 D+
Access to Capital 23 35 38 D
Cost of Living 16 35 35 D
Overall 1197 38 38 -

Economic Profile

Governor: John C. Carney Jr., Democrat

Population: 967,171

GDP growth (Q4 2018): 0.0%

Unemployment rate (May 2019): 3.2%

Top corporate tax rate: 8.7%

Top individual income tax rate: 6.6%

Gasoline tax: 23 cents/gallon

Bond rating: (Moody's/S&P): Aaa, stable/AAA, stable

Major private employers: Christiana Care Health Systems, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

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