2009

America's Top States for Business 2009: The full rankings

Published Fri, May 9 20255:14 PM EDT

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.

America's Top States for Business 2009

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

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