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America's Top States for Business 2007

Top States 2007: Overall Rankings

We scored all 50 states—using publicly available data—on 40 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, we separated those metrics into the ten broad categories, with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers. We weighted the categories based on how frequently each is cited in state economic development marketing materials.

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