20. Florida

The workforce in the Sunshine State is among the best in the nation. Capital is as plentiful as beach sand, and the economy is rebounding. But education is a perennial weak spot.

Category
Score
2014 Rank
2013 Rank
Cost of Doing Business 167 37 40
Workforce 222 3 4
Quality of Life 143 28 28
Infrastructure & Transportation 191 27 29
Economy 263 11 (Tie) 38
Education 59 38 28
Technology & Innovation 222 12 (Tie) 11
Business Friendliness 67 35 35
Cost of Living 20 31 29
Access to Capital 22 7 (Tie) 27
Overall 1376 20 30

Economic Profile

Governor: Rick Scott, Republican

Population: 19,552,860

GDP growth: 2.2 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2014): 6.2 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 5.5 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 0 percent

Gasoline tax: 54 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aa1/stable

Major private employer: Walt Disney World

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

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