Top States 2013: Overall Rankings

We scored all 50 states on 51 measures of competitiveness developed with input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric. Then, we separated those metrics into ten broad categories, weighting the categories based on how frequently they are cited in state economic development marketing materials. That way, our study ranks the states based on the criteria they use to sell themselves.

VIEW RANKINGS: Data Table | Chart | Maps

Overall Ranking

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

Correction:
This chart briefly displayed incorrect data. It has now been corrected.