2026 Competitiveness Redbook | Page 20

CNBC Top States for Business Rankings( July 2025)
Source: CNBC TABLE 13A
Economy
Infrastructure
Workforce Cost of Doing Business
Business Friendliness
Rank 1 North Carolina
3
11
4
21
4
2 Texas
2
26
1
5
17
3 Florida
1
16
2
22
23
4 Virginia
14
2
14
31
7
5 Ohio
26
1
31
2
25
6 Michigan
18
15
13
4
14
7 Georgia
9
4
3
18
17
8 Tennessee
21
9
10
10
3
9 Indiana
19
6
33
3
5
10 Minnesota
28
5
30
34
21
11 Colorado
21
11
7
38
22
12 Arizona
13
3
6
32
17
13 Illinois
44
8
19
19
38
14 Washington
6
26
5
48
41
15 Nebraska
19
30
17
15
8
16 Utah
8
9
9
28
10
17 Pennsylvania
16
17
37
25
40
18 South Carolina
10
21
12
28
28
19 Alabama
23
28
16
19
13
20 Massachusetts
15
35
23
49
42
21 Wisconsin
28
18
27
13
32
22 California
12
25
20
40
48
23 New York
5
7
44
45
50
24 Iowa
39
19
41
11
24
25 Kentucky
34
36
25
9
16
25 North Dakota
43
37
46
17
1
27 Idaho
7
38
38
25
10
28 Connecticut
38
33
8
44
35
29 Delaware
4
31
11
41
43
30 New Jersey
31
21
14
38
49
31 Wyoming
11
42
35
27
12
32 Maryland
26
23
21
46
37
33 Kansas
48
20
34
14
8
34 Missouri
37
23
48
6
29
35 South Dakota
36
31
47
16
2
36 New Hampshire
23
47
26
37
6
37 Oklahoma
32
34
42
1
20
38 Vermont
35
40
40
35
25
39 Oregon
41
14
23
43
47
40 West Virginia
42
43
43
24
15
41 Arkansas
30
41
36
11
31
42 Nevada
17
13
18
36
33
43 Maine
33
50
38
30
45
44 New Mexico
46
29
31
23
39
45 Mississippi
49
44
49
7
34
46 Louisiana
47
46
44
7
35
46 Rhode Island
45
39
21
46
46
48 Montana
23
45
50
32
29
49 Hawaii
39
48
29
50
44
50 Alaska
50
49
28
41
27
Washington ranked 14th overall in CNBC’ s ranking of Top States for Business. Technology & Innovation was the state’ s best subcategory.