2008

America's Top States for Business 2008: The full rankings

Published Fri, May 9 20255:05 PM EDT

We scored all 50 states—using publicly available data—on 40 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, we separated those metrics into the ten broad categories, with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers. We weighted the categories based on how frequently each is cited in state economic development marketing materials.

America's Top States for Business 2008

OVERALL	State	Cost of Doing Business	Workforce	Economy	Education	Quality of Life	Technology & Innovation	Infra-structure	Cost of Living	Business Friendliness	Access to Capital
1	Texas	27	12	1	30	22	4	1	3	20	3
2	Virginia	11	8	17	11	28	14	13	27	2	13
3	Utah	10	10	3	46	6	21	32	24	6	19
4	Idaho	5	7	5	48	26	27	24	14	33	34
5	Colorado	25	13	11	35	7	13	35	30	5	11
6	North Carolina	22	3	23	27	38	18	15	20	10	10
7	South Dakota	1	19	14	24	21	50	25	2	4	44
8	Georgia	16	3	31	32	42	16	2	9	14	14
9	Iowa	2	25	29	15	17	31	39	13	11	42
10	Minnesota	29	31	27	9	5	11	8	31	16	15
11	Kansas	24	11	21	13	33	31	8	8	11	30
12	Arizona	23	6	8	43	36	19	25	35	6	18
13	Indiana	6	27	37	19	31	23	4	11	3	28
14	Wyoming	12	17	6	14	17	48	33	28	22	47
15	Massachusetts	41	34	25	1	15	4	36	42	13	2
16	North Dakota	4	23	18	23	19	47	20	17	14	46
17	Florida	42	1	20	39	23	9	18	34	16	9
18	New Jersey	45	40	21	4	1	2	36	48	35	8
18	Washington	35	37	11	17	9	6	22	36	34	4
20	Oregon	18	14	35	29	26	20	11	39	27	16
21	Tennessee	13	5	37	42	43	25	7	1	9	29
22	Nebraska	19	28	28	21	12	36	29	7	28	49
23	Pennsylvania	38	43	32	6	12	9	16	29	28	6
24	Missouri	8	26	43	19	39	26	10	5	23	26
25	California	48	21	7	31	4	1	16	49	48	1
26	New York	50	49	2	1	3	2	25	46	42	5
27	New Hampshire	32	33	41	7	2	24	45	40	6	21
28	Oklahoma	6	30	3	45	41	35	34	4	23	35
29	South Carolina	9	2	39	37	49	31	4	15	28	25
30	Illinois	44	44	14	25	16	7	12	23	35	12
30	Ohio	30	46	40	12	19	17	2	16	42	20
32	Arkansas	3	9	33	33	47	43	36	6	35	47
33	Montana	26	36	10	16	30	45	29	31	44	45
34	Connecticut	47	38	30	5	11	15	44	44	16	17
35	Kentucky	14	20	45	38	40	38	6	18	28	22
36	Maryland	33	41	25	22	37	11	40	45	20	7
37	Wisconsin	36	47	36	9	25	22	13	22	28	27
38	New Mexico	21	32	8	44	44	36	22	26	46	23
39	Vermont	40	34	42	3	10	31	46	41	16	38
40	Michigan	34	39	48	28	23	8	21	25	39	24
41	Delaware	31	23	18	26	46	28	47	33	1	41
42	Alabama	19	22	23	47	45	39	43	11	39	31
43	Louisiana	28	28	14	40	50	40	25	19	41	33
44	Maine	43	45	44	8	14	41	40	37	23	40
45	Nevada	37	16	34	49	34	29	18	38	23	32
46	Mississippi	17	15	46	50	48	46	31	10	44	37
47	West Virginia	15	48	46	36	32	49	42	21	50	36
48	Rhode Island	46	18	49	17	29	30	48	43	47	39
49	Hawaii	49	50	13	34	8	43	49	50	49	43
50	Alaska	38	42	50	41	35	42	50	47	35	49