36. New Jersey

Glory Days abound for the state's strong school system — not so much for its crumbling infrastructure.

US state flag of New Jersey
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Category
Score
2019 Rank
2018 Rank
Grade
Workforce 269 14 18 C+
Economy 144 40 31 D+
Infrastructure 157 39 43 C-
Cost of Doing Business 93 45 50 D-
Quality of Life 213 11 16 B-
Education 124 4 7 A
Technology & Innovation 111 15 18 B
Business Friendliness 35 45 44 F
Access to Capital 60 12 9 A-
Cost of Living 10 41 41 F
Overall 1216 36 36 -

Economic Profile

Governor: Phil Murphy, Democrat

Population: 8,908,520

GDP growth (Q4 2018): 1.8%

Unemployment rate (May 2019): 3.8%

Top corporate tax rate: 9%

Top individual income tax rate: 10.75%

Gasoline tax: 41.40 cents/gallon

Bond rating (Moody's/S&P): A3, stable/A-, stable

Major private employers: Wakefern Food Corporation, Johnson & Johnson

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