Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana
Franz Marc Frei | Look | Getty Images
Category Score 2013 Rank 2012 Rank
Cost of Doing Business303109
Workforce1552216
Quality of Life625050
Infrastructure & Transportation1374140
Economy1953536
Education594035
Technology & Innovation1332828
Business Friendliness613940
Cost of Living312017
Access to Capital83543
Overall11444342

ECONOMIC PROFILE

Governor: Bobby Jindal (R) 

Population: 4,601,893

GDP growth: 1.5 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2013): 6.8 percent

Top corporate rate: 8 percent

Top individual tax rate: 6 percent  

Gasoline tax: 20 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aa2/Stable

Major private employers: Louisiana State University Health Care Services, Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Willis-Knighton Medical Center, Hilton-New Orleans Riverside, Lafayette General Medical Center, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Tulane University, Willis-Knighton Breast Center, University of New Orleans

Economic profile sources: American Petroleum Institute (April 2013), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2012), Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2013 release), CareerOneStop, Moody's Investors Service (senior-most tax-backed ratings), National Governors Association, Tax Foundation (2013), U.S. Census Bureau (2012 estimate)