Top States For Business 2012

Governor: Beverly Perdue (D) 

Population: 9,656,401 

GDP (per capita): $39,879 

Number of S&P companies: 14 

Top corporate tax rate: 6.90 percent 

Top individual tax rate: 7.75 percent 

Gasoline taxes/fees: 39.2 cents 

Bond Rating/Outlook: Aaa/Stable 

SAT scores (average): 1475/2400 

Degree Granting Institutions (colleges/universities): 139 

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