America's top states for business - by CNBC

Top States 2012: Overall Ranking

We scored all 50 states on 51 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 Ranking

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