Top States For Business 2012

Governor: Mike Beebe  (D) 

Population: 2,937,979 

GDP (per capita): $31,142 

Number of S&P companies: 4 

Top corporate tax rate: 6.50 percent 

Top individual tax rate: 7.00 percent 

Gasoline taxes/fees: 21.8 cents 

Bond Rating/Outlook: Aa1/Stable 

SAT scores (average): 1692/2400   

Degree Granting Institutions (colleges/universities): 51 

Sources:  Census Bureau (2011), Standard & Poor's (2012), Tax Foundation (2012), American Petroleum Institute (2012), Bureau Labor Statistics (2011), National Center For Education Statistics (2011), Moody's (2012), CNBC