Top States 2011: Overall Rankings

We scored all 50 states on 43 measures of competitiveness developed with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, we separated those metrics into ten 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.

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