Top States For Business 2012

Governor: Christopher Christie (R) 

Population: 8,821,155 

GDP (per capita): $48,380

Number of S&P 500 companies: 21 

Top corporate tax rate: 9.00 percent 

Top individual tax rate: 8.97 percent 

Gasoline taxes/fees: 14.5 cents 

Bond Rating/Outlook: Aa3/Stable 

SAT scores (average): 1508/2400 

Degree Granting Institutions (colleges/universities): 66 

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