America’s Top States for Business 2024: The full rankings

Apr 17, 2025

CNBC’s annual study once again puts all 50 states to the test, measuring them on 128 different metrics, the most-ever, in 10 key categories of competitiveness.

To rank America’s Top States for Business in 2024, CNBC scored all 50 states on 128 metrics in 10 broad categories of competitiveness. Each category is weighted based on how frequently states use them as a selling point in economic development marketing materials. That way, our study ranks the states based on the attributes they use to sell themselves. We developed our criteria and metrics in consultation with a diverse array of business and policy experts, and the states. Our study is not an opinion survey. We use data from a variety of sources to measure the states’ performance. Under our methodology, states can earn a maximum of 2,500 points. The states with the most are America’s Top States for Business.

America’s Top States for Business 2024

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

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/11/americas-top-states-for-business-full-rankings.html