Top 10 Most Business Friendly States In America

The National Association of Manufacturers and the Council of Competitiveness released a list of the “Top 10” most business friendly states in America. The rankings report also notes those states which are not business friendly and therefore are more likely to be regions of higher unemployment with fewer amenities. The ranking point system was based on various metrics and used weighted categories based upon importance and frequency of appearance in state economic development marketing initiatives.

The business friendly categories which offered the highest possible points included, cost of doing business, workforce, infrastructure and transportation, quality of life and economy, The Blaze reports. Access to capital and cost of living were at the bottom end of the point scale. The report also reviewed each state’s tax burden, income, property and business taxes.

10 – Wyoming earned a “Cost of Living” score of 27, “Cost of Business” score of 10 and and earned a 1 in the “Economy” category.

9 – Georgia earned a score of 14 in the “Cost of Business” category, a 16 in “Cost of Living” and a 30 in the “Economy” category.

8 – Colorado garnered a score of 40 in “Cost of Business” a 33 in “Cost of Living” and a 33 in the “Economy” category.

7- South Dakota earned a 3 in the “Cost of Business” category, a 30 in “Cost of Living” and a 12 in the “Economy” category.

6 – Nebraska was given a 13 in the “Cost of Business” category, an 11 in “Cost of Living” and a 9 in the “Economy” category.

5 – North Dakota garnered a 16 in “Cost of Business” a 28 in the “Cost of Living” category and a 2 on the “Economy,”

4 – North Carolina earned a 31 in the “Economy” category and a 21 in both the “Cost of Living” and the “Cost of Business” categories.

3- Virginia was awarded a 32 in the “Cost of Business” category a 20 in “Cost of Living” and a 10 on the state of the “Economy.”

2 – Utah earned an 11 in the “Cost of Business” category, a 6 on the “Cost of Living” and 7 on the “Economy” category.

1 – Texas – earned the top business friendly state spot with a 28 in the “Cot of Business” category a 3 on the “Cost of Living” and 5 on the “Economy.”

The least business friendly states in America according to the report are New Jersey, Louisiana, Delaware, Connecticut, Nevada, Mississippi, Alaska, West Virginia, Hawaii and Rhode Island.

Are you surprised that the most business friendly states are all located in the South and West?