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LivestreamMenuCNBC’s annual study once again puts all 50 states to the test, measuring them on 138 metrics, the most ever, across ten categories of competitiveness.
1. Ohio
2. North Carolina
3. Virginia
4. Texas
5. Minnesota
6. Michigan
7. Georgia
8. Florida
9. Tennessee
10. Indiana
11. Washington
12. Illinois
13. Pennsylvania
14. Arizona
15. Massachusetts
16. Utah
17. California
18. New York
19. Iowa
20. Wyoming
21. Alabama
22. Wisconsin
23. South Carolina
23. Connecticut
25. Colorado
26. Nebraska
27. Kentucky
28. Arkansas
29. North Dakota
30. Idaho
31. New Jersey
32. Delaware
33. Nevada
34. New Hampshire
35. Maine
36. Maryland
37. Kansas
38. Missouri
39. Oklahoma
40. Vermont
41. New Mexico
42. Oregon
43. Mississippi
44. South Dakota
45. Montana
46. West Virginia
47. Louisiana
48. Rhode Island
49. Alaska
50. Hawaii
To rank America’s Top States for Business in 2026, CNBC scored all 50 states on 138 metrics in 10 broad categories of competitiveness. The fundamentals of the study, now in its 20th year, remain the same: identifying the factors companies consider when making site selection decisions, and where states are focusing their economic development efforts to win jobs and business. Each category is weighted based on how frequently states use them as a selling point.
The Top States categories have been largely consistent since our first study in 2007, but we re-weight our categories annually to reflect market dynamics. The biggest change in 2026: Infrastructure is our top-weighted category, as companies pursue strategic locations close to transport hubs, top utilities, access to fresh water, and abundant energy to power things like advanced manufacturing and data centers. And they want it all without red tape. For the first time in 2026, we are factoring ease of permitting into our rankings.
Economy, last year’s top category as President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda took shape, slips to second place, followed by Workforce. A national skills gap remains, but the job market has cooled and AI has boosted productivity.
Under our methodology, states can earn a maximum of 2,500 points. The states with the most points are America’s Top States for Business.
| 1 | Ohio | 1 | 9 | 35 | 18 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 9 | 23 | 9 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 13 | 1 | 3 | 34 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 35 |
| 3 | Virginia | 2 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 26 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
| 4 | Texas | 12 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 32 | 30 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 7 | 8 | 27 | 4 | 31 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 10 | 22 |
| 6 | Michigan | 9 | 24 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 27 | 13 | 29 | 11 |
| 7 | Georgia | 5 | 17 | 9 | 46 | 11 | 15 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 35 |
| 8 | Florida | 32 | 11 | 2 | 30 | 15 | 10 | 33 | 4 | 29 | 48 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 6 | 11 | 7 | 50 | 9 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 45 | 15 |
| 10 | Indiana | 4 | 27 | 32 | 48 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 25 | 6 |
| 11 | Washington | 16 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 47 | 4 | 40 | 11 | 37 | 41 |
| 12 | Illinois | 3 | 29 | 31 | 22 | 23 | 12 | 44 | 12 | 7 | 41 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 11 | 21 | 39 | 17 | 17 | 5 | 42 | 7 | 17 | 11 |
| 14 | Arizona | 8 | 22 | 4 | 36 | 35 | 25 | 13 | 18 | 43 | 33 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 24 | 16 | 26 | 10 | 49 | 8 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 39 |
| 16 | Utah | 28 | 13 | 5 | 45 | 25 | 26 | 5 | 22 | 45 | 26 |
| 17 | California | 26 | 3 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 1 | 47 | 1 | 20 | 50 |
| 18 | New York | 13 | 4 | 50 | 19 | 41 | 2 | 49 | 3 | 7 | 41 |
| 19 | Iowa | 15 | 37 | 38 | 20 | 8 | 23 | 14 | 39 | 23 | 6 |
| 20 | Wyoming | 37 | 14 | 36 | 24 | 29 | 36 | 2 | 35 | 2 | 5 |
| 21 | Alabama | 10 | 31 | 14 | 43 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 41 | 3 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 24 | 10 | 29 | 40 | 11 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 13 | 15 |
| 23 | Connecticut | 29 | 34 | 25 | 5 | 40 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 4 | 44 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 27 | 6 | 8 | 36 | 31 | 28 | 38 | 31 | 19 | 37 |
| 25 | Colorado | 32 | 28 | 10 | 14 | 38 | 6 | 29 | 17 | 37 | 49 |
| 26 | Nebraska | 36 | 26 | 18 | 10 | 17 | 45 | 9 | 37 | 20 | 29 |
| 27 | Kentucky | 17 | 37 | 22 | 30 | 10 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 25 | 14 |
| 28 | Arkansas | 23 | 20 | 13 | 41 | 17 | 36 | 31 | 27 | 36 | 19 |
| 29 | North Dakota | 34 | 42 | 46 | 9 | 22 | 42 | 1 | 45 | 11 | 2 |
| 30 | Idaho | 45 | 14 | 16 | 28 | 28 | 34 | 12 | 40 | 47 | 22 |
| 31 | New Jersey | 41 | 31 | 19 | 3 | 38 | 20 | 50 | 13 | 2 | 39 |
| 32 | Delaware | 41 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 41 | 27 | 46 | 25 | 43 | 15 |
| 33 | Nevada | 20 | 19 | 22 | 39 | 34 | 38 | 15 | 23 | 49 | 37 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | 43 | 43 | 15 | 7 | 36 | 45 | 6 | 41 | 9 | 26 |
| 35 | Maine | 47 | 39 | 33 | 2 | 23 | 38 | 24 | 43 | 5 | 28 |
| 36 | Maryland | 17 | 49 | 30 | 12 | 44 | 13 | 33 | 15 | 16 | 30 |
| 37 | Kansas | 31 | 46 | 39 | 36 | 15 | 32 | 3 | 34 | 13 | 6 |
| 38 | Missouri | 21 | 29 | 49 | 44 | 5 | 24 | 38 | 19 | 37 | 10 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | 21 | 41 | 42 | 41 | 3 | 30 | 18 | 33 | 48 | 19 |
| 40 | Vermont | 37 | 35 | 33 | 1 | 37 | 48 | 18 | 42 | 22 | 21 |
| 41 | New Mexico | 29 | 33 | 20 | 32 | 29 | 40 | 35 | 37 | 32 | 33 |
| 42 | Oregon | 17 | 39 | 24 | 22 | 43 | 18 | 43 | 27 | 34 | 45 |
| 43 | Mississippi | 34 | 36 | 48 | 26 | 13 | 43 | 36 | 35 | 41 | 11 |
| 44 | South Dakota | 44 | 45 | 47 | 33 | 14 | 50 | 3 | 46 | 28 | 3 |
| 45 | Montana | 48 | 18 | 36 | 35 | 33 | 35 | 40 | 46 | 18 | 30 |
| 46 | West Virginia | 40 | 48 | 44 | 24 | 27 | 44 | 30 | 49 | 25 | 1 |
| 47 | Louisiana | 39 | 47 | 45 | 46 | 7 | 32 | 48 | 27 | 29 | 22 |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 46 | 50 | 28 | 16 | 44 | 40 | 37 | 48 | 40 | 45 |
| 49 | Alaska | 49 | 44 | 41 | 26 | 47 | 47 | 20 | 50 | 50 | 22 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 50 | 24 | 43 | 6 | 50 | 49 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 47 |
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