Top States For Business 2012

Governor: Jay Nixon (D) 

Population: 6,010,688 

GDP (per capita): $35,952 

Number of S&P companies: 10 

Top corporate tax rate: 6.25 percent 

Top individual tax rate: 6.00 percent 

Gasoline taxes/fees: 17.3 cents 

Bond Rating/Outlook: Aaa/Stable 

SAT scores (average): 1764/2400 

Degree Granting Institutions (colleges/universities): 138 

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