America's Top States For Business 2014

We score all 50 states on 56 measures of competitiveness, developed using input from business groups, economic development experts, companies and the states themselves. States receive points based on their rankings in each metric. We then separate those metrics into 10 broad categories, weighting the categories based on how frequently they are cited in state economic development marketing materials. That way, our study ranks the states based on the criteria they use to sell themselves. (Check out our methodology in scoring the states.)

VIEW RANKINGS: Data Table | Chart | Maps

Overall	State	Cost of Doing Business	Economy	Infrastructure	Workforce	Quality of Life	Technology & Innovation	Business Friendliness	Education	Cost of Living	Access to Capital
1	Georgia	20	3	1	1	32	16	14	32	22	11
2	Texas	23	1	1	11	37	2	20	27	18	5
3	Utah	16	6	28	12	15	18	4	46	20	1
4	Nebraska	10	11	18	16	8	40	3	19	21	35
5	North Carolina	23	4	21	4	34	12	19	33	14	17
6	Minnesota	38	5	5	30	4	11	15	12	28	11
7	Washington	34	2	17	24	6	4	23	25	38	9
8	Colorado	35	8	29	5	12	9	16	28	34	1
8	Virginia	30	29	19	10	22	10	5	9	32	19
10	North Dakota	22	7	10	8	5	49	7	22	12	45
11	South Dakota	6	20	31	6	10	50	2	30	16	26
12	Iowa	7	18	25	37	20	29	9	22	12	49
13	Arizona	28	15	8	2	27	19	16	50	27	5
14	Tennessee	13	14	4	6	50	28	18	39	9	33
15	Kansas	26	31	8	13	25	27	11	14	24	41
16	Idaho	8	42	34	8	16	41	6	45	11	21
17	Wisconsin	26	22	10	40	24	20	25	10	23	37
18	Ohio	15	15	6	46	43	17	33	15	15	29
19	Indiana	21	30	7	27	44	25	11	15	7	37
20	Florida	37	11	27	3	28	12	35	38	31	7
21	Wyoming	18	41	12	18	16	46	8	12	33	35
22	Oregon	33	10	23	39	13	22	26	39	37	15
23	Missouri	11	15	13	44	48	24	29	20	18	39
24	South Carolina	9	13	14	25	40	30	34	43	10	41
25	Massachusetts	46	19	45	20	7	5	21	3	45	9
26	Michigan	31	28	16	15	45	14	32	34	17	23
27	Illinois	40	36	3	32	30	5	41	15	29	14
28	Oklahoma	1	26	33	35	49	39	27	41	3	41
29	Nevada	25	21	19	14	35	35	22	49	30	15
30	Arkansas	2	25	35	19	41	44	45	37	2	39
30	New Hampshire	32	33	48	41	3	26	13	10	43	19
32	California	48	9	24	36	23	1	48	26	47	1
33	Montana	12	38	25	46	11	45	42	21	25	27
34	Alabama	4	40	21	20	46	31	38	47	7	45
35	Maryland	45	24	39	20	26	7	42	7	41	27
36	Mississippi	4	26	31	17	38	47	49	48	6	31
37	New Mexico	17	43	15	30	33	32	47	36	26	23
38	Delaware	36	32	44	34	29	23	1	24	36	44
39	Kentucky	14	46	29	29	42	37	36	35	1	47
40	Louisiana	3	44	36	26	47	36	39	44	4	47
40	New York	50	34	38	43	21	3	29	1	50	4
42	Vermont	41	23	49	50	2	37	31	2	40	31
43	New Jersey	43	47	47	23	18	15	37	4	44	11
44	Pennsylvania	42	37	37	48	35	8	39	6	35	17
45	Maine	29	48	46	41	8	43	28	8	38	29
46	Connecticut	47	49	42	32	14	21	24	5	48	7
47	Alaska	39	50	41	27	30	42	10	30	46	21
48	West Virginia	18	39	40	44	39	48	50	28	5	49
49	Hawaii	49	34	43	49	1	33	44	42	49	33
50	Rhode Island	43	44	50	38	19	34	45	18	42	23

1. Georgia

2. Texas

3. Utah

4. Nebraska

5. North Carolina

6. Minnesota

7. Washington

8. Colorado

8. Virginia

10. North Dakota

11. South Dakota

12. Iowa

13. Arizona

14. Tennessee

15. Kansas

16. Idaho

17. Wisconsin

18. Ohio

19. Indiana

20. Florida

21. Wyoming

22. Oregon

23. Missouri

24. South Carolina

25. Massachusetts

26. Michigan

27. Illinois

28. Oklahoma

29. Nevada

30. Arkansas

30. New Hampshire

32. California

33. Montana

34. Alabama

35. Maryland

36. Mississippi

37. New Mexico

38. Delaware

39. Kentucky

40. Louisiana

40. New York

42. Vermont

43. New Jersey

44. Pennsylvania

45. Maine

46. Connecticut

47. Alaska

48. West Virginia

49. Hawaii

50. Rhode Island

Note: Detailed 2014 rankings are viewable at http://topstates.cnbc.com.