2. Texas

Everything is big here, including the economy. But even a small improvement in education or quality of life would help.

Texas Flag on Barn
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Category
Score
2019 Rank
2018 Rank
Grade
Workforce 321 4 7 A-
Economy 295 4 1 A+
Infrastructure 216 8 1 A-
Cost of Doing Business 214 19 18 B+
Quality of Life 132 37 31 D
Education 73 39 37 D
Technology & Innovation 123 10 9 A-
Business Friendliness 105 17 21 B-
Access to Capital 71 3 3 A+
Cost of Living 39 12 11 B+
Overall 1589 2 1 -

Economic Profile

Governor: Greg Abbott, Republican

Population: 28,701,845

GDP growth (Q4 2018): 6.6%

Unemployment rate (May 2019): 3.5%

Top corporate tax rate: None (levies a gross receipts tax)

Top individual income tax rate: None

Gasoline tax: 20 cents/gallon

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

Major private employers: H-E-B Super Market Chain, Exxon Mobil

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