The Best States For Business and Careers
Utah tops our fifth annual ranking, knocking longtime leader Virginia from the top spot.When voters in 37 states select their governors next month, the overriding issue will be, of course, the economy.
No. 1 Utah
2009 Rank: 3
Business Costs Rank: 8
Labor Supply Rank: 5
Regulatory Environment: 6
Economic Climate: 1
Growth Prospects: 20
Quality of Life: 18
No. 2 Virginia
2009 Rank: 1
Business Costs Rank: 24
Labor Supply Rank: 3
Regulatory Environment: 2
Economic Climate: 4
Growth Prospects: 14
Quality of Life: 6
No. 3 North Carolina
2009 Rank: 5
Business Costs Rank: 3
Labor Supply Rank: 15
Regulatory Environment: 3
Economic Climate: 18
Growth Prospects: 9
Quality of Life: 32
No. 4 Colorado
2009 Rank: 4
Business Costs Rank: 33
Labor Supply Rank: 1
Regulatory Environment: 15
Economic Climate: 6
Growth Prospects: 6
Quality of Life: 9
No. 5 Washington
2009 Rank: 2
Business Costs Rank: 28
Labor Supply Rank: 2
Regulatory Environment: 5
Economic Climate: 11
Growth Prospects: 4
Quality of Life: 29
No. 6 Oregon
2009 Rank: 10
Business Costs Rank: 18
Labor Supply Rank: 4
Regulatory Environment: 34
Economic Climate: 14
Growth Prospects: 12
Quality of Life: 21
No. 7 Texas
2009 Rank: 8
Business Costs Rank: 26
Labor Supply Rank: 21
Regulatory Environment: 17
Economic Climate: 2
Growth Prospects: 1
Quality of Life: 38
No. 8 Georgia
2009 Rank: 6
Business Costs Rank: 31
Labor Supply Rank: 7
Regulatory Environment: 1
Economic Climate: 30
Growth Prospects: 7
Quality of Life: 35
No. 9 Nebraska
2009 Rank: 9
Business Costs Rank: 6
Labor Supply Rank: 23
Regulatory Environment: 28
Economic Climate: 12
Growth Prospects: 40
Quality of Life: 14
No. 10 Kansas
2009 Rank: 15
Business Costs Rank: 23
Labor Supply Rank: 18
Regulatory Environment: 11
Economic Climate: 13
Growth Prospects: 30
Quality of Life: 27
No. 11 North Dakota
2009 Rank: 7
Business Costs Rank: 4
Labor Supply Rank: 37
Regulatory Environment: 25
Economic Climate: 3
Growth Prospects: 33
Quality of Life: 23
No. 12 Idaho
2009 Rank: 11
Business Costs Rank: 17
Labor Supply Rank: 19
Regulatory Environment: 29
Economic Climate: 20
Growth Prospects: 19
Quality of Life: 20
No. 13 Iowa
2009 Rank: 14
Business Costs Rank: 7
Labor Supply Rank: 40
Regulatory Environment: 19
Economic Climate: 17
Growth Prospects: 39
Quality of Life: 13
No. 14 Maryland
2009 Rank: 12
Business Costs Rank: 49
Labor Supply Rank: 8
Regulatory Environment: 9
Economic Climate: 19
Growth Prospects: 29
Quality of Life: 8
No. 15 Minnesota
2009 Rank: 17
Business Costs Rank: 30
Labor Supply Rank: 8
Regulatory Environment: 32
Economic Climate: 37
Growth Prospects: 13
Quality of Life: 4
No. 16 Massachusetts
2009 Rank: 34
Business Costs Rank: 50
Labor Supply Rank: 10
Regulatory Environment: 13
Economic Climate: 22
Growth Prospects: 28
Quality of Life: 1
No. 17 South Dakota
2009 Rank: 16
Business Costs Rank: 1
Labor Supply Rank: 32
Regulatory Environment: 37
Economic Climate: 5
Growth Prospects: 46
Quality of Life: 25
No. 18 Missouri
2009 Rank: 29
Business Costs Rank: 15
Labor Supply Rank: 39
Regulatory Environment: 7
Economic Climate: 26
Growth Prospects: 36
Quality of Life: 26
No. 19 New Hampshire
2009 Rank: 19
Business Costs Rank: 40
Labor Supply Rank: 6
Regulatory Environment: 47
Economic Climate: 32
Growth Prospects: 5
Quality of Life: 2
No. 20 Delaware
2009 Rank: 21
Business Costs Rank: 12
Labor Supply Rank: 13
Regulatory Environment: 31
Economic Climate: 47
Growth Prospects: 16
Quality of Life: 36
No. 21 New York
2009 Rank: 32
Business Costs Rank: 43
Labor Supply Rank: 29
Regulatory Environment: 23
Economic Climate: 9
Growth Prospects: 22
Quality of Life: 11
No. 22 Tennessee
2009 Rank: 23
Business Costs Rank: 10
Labor Supply Rank: 38
Regulatory Environment: 4
Economic Climate: 44
Growth Prospects: 23
Quality of Life: 43
No. 23 Arizona
2009 Rank: 36
Business Costs Rank: 36
Labor Supply Rank: 12
Regulatory Environment: 38
Economic Climate: 15
Growth Prospects: 7
Quality of Life: 37
No. 24 Montana
2009 Rank: 13
Business Costs Rank: 19
Labor Supply Rank: 11
Regulatory Environment: 40
Economic Climate: 10
Growth Prospects: 42
Quality of Life: 34
No. 25 Alabama
2009 Rank: 28
Business Costs Rank: 21
Labor Supply Rank: 42
Regulatory Environment: 10
Economic Climate: 29
Growth Prospects: 10
Quality of Life: 46
No. 26 Florida
2009 Rank: 18
Business Costs Rank: 37
Labor Supply Rank: 14
Regulatory Environment: 22
Economic Climate: 36
Growth Prospects: 3
Quality of Life: 39
No. 27 Wyoming
2009 Rank: 22
Business Costs Rank: 2
Labor Supply Rank: 24
Regulatory Environment: 49
Economic Climate: 8
Growth Prospects: 48
Quality of Life: 31
No. 28 Nevada
2009 Rank: 31
Business Costs Rank: 13
Labor Supply Rank: 27
Regulatory Environment: 33
Economic Climate: 24
Growth Prospects: 17
Quality of Life: 47
No. 29 Indiana
2009 Rank: 30
Business Costs Rank: 10
Labor Supply Rank: 43
Regulatory Environment: 16
Economic Climate: 48
Growth Prospects: 32
Quality of Life: 19
No. 30 Pennsylvania
2009 Rank: 33
Business Costs Rank: 34
Labor Supply Rank: 34
Regulatory Environment: 21
Economic Climate: 16
Growth Prospects: 43
Quality of Life: 7
No. 31 Kentucky
2009 Rank: 43
Business Costs Rank: 8
Labor Supply Rank: 45
Regulatory Environment: 26
Economic Climate: 40
Growth Prospects: 15
Quality of Life: 33
No. 32 Arkansas
2009 Rank: 26
Business Costs Rank: 14
Labor Supply Rank: 44
Regulatory Environment: 24
Economic Climate: 25
Growth Prospects: 21
Quality of Life: 44
No. 33 Oklahoma
2009 Rank: 20
Business Costs Rank: 16
Labor Supply Rank: 41
Regulatory Environment: 20
Economic Climate: 7
Growth Prospects: 50
Quality of Life: 41
No. 34 South Carolina
2009 Rank: 25
Business Costs Rank: 26
Labor Supply Rank: 28
Regulatory Environment: 8
Economic Climate: 43
Growth Prospects: 26
Quality of Life: 45
No. 35 New Mexico
2009 Rank: 27
Business Costs Rank: 22
Labor Supply Rank: 32
Regulatory Environment: 35
Economic Climate: 31
Growth Prospects: 2
Quality of Life: 49
No. 36 Connecticut
2009 Rank: 35
Business Costs Rank: 45
Labor Supply Rank: 17
Regulatory Environment: 39
Economic Climate: 23
Growth Prospects: 35
Quality of Life: 3
No. 37 Illinois
2009 Rank: 24
Business Costs Rank: 39
Labor Supply Rank: 30
Regulatory Environment: 18
Economic Climate: 34
Growth Prospects: 38
Quality of Life: 24
No. 38 Ohio
2009 Rank: 37
Business Costs Rank: 32
Labor Supply Rank: 47
Regulatory Environment: 12
Economic Climate: 46
Growth Prospects: 37
Quality of Life: 12
No. 39 California
2009 Rank: 38
Business Costs Rank: 44
Labor Supply Rank: 25
Regulatory Environment: 43
Economic Climate: 28
Growth Prospects: 11
Quality of Life: 22
No. 40 New Jersey
2009 Rank: 45
Business Costs Rank: 46
Labor Supply Rank: 20
Regulatory Environment: 41
Economic Climate: 33
Growth Prospects: 33
Quality of Life: 5
No. 41 West Virginia
2009 Rank: 46
Business Costs Rank: 5
Labor Supply Rank: 48
Regulatory Environment: 46
Economic Climate: 38
Growth Prospects: 23
Quality of Life: 40
No. 42 Alaska
2009 Rank: 42
Business Costs Rank: 29
Labor Supply Rank: 31
Regulatory Environment: 42
Economic Climate: 27
Growth Prospects: 27
Quality of Life: 42
No. 43 Wisconsin
2009 Rank: 48
Business Costs Rank: 35
Labor Supply Rank: 36
Regulatory Environment: 36
Economic Climate: 34
Growth Prospects: 47
Quality of Life: 10
No. 44 Louisiana
2009 Rank: 44
Business Costs Rank: 25
Labor Supply Rank: 50
Regulatory Environment: 27
Economic Climate: 41
Growth Prospects: 18
Quality of Life: 50
No. 45 Vermont
2009 Rank: 47
Business Costs Rank: 42
Labor Supply Rank: 16
Regulatory Environment: 45
Economic Climate: 39
Growth Prospects: 45
Quality of Life: 15
No. 46 Hawaii
2009 Rank: 39
Business Costs Rank: 47
Labor Supply Rank: 21
Regulatory Environment: 44
Economic Climate: 21
Growth Prospects: 41
Quality of Life: 28
No. 47 Michigan
2009 Rank: 49
Business Costs Rank: 38
Labor Supply Rank: 46
Regulatory Environment: 14
Economic Climate: 42
Growth Prospects: 49
Quality of Life: 30
No. 48 Mississippi
2009 Rank: 40
Business Costs Rank: 20
Labor Supply Rank: 49
Regulatory Environment: 30
Economic Climate: 49
Growth Prospects: 31
Quality of Life: 48
No. 49 Rhode Island
2009 Rank: 50
Business Costs Rank: 41
Labor Supply Rank: 34
Regulatory Environment: 50
Economic Climate: 50
Growth Prospects: 23
Quality of Life: 17
No. 50 Maine
2009 Rank: 41
Business Costs Rank: 47
Labor Supply Rank: 26
Regulatory Environment: 48
Economic Climate: 45
Growth Prospects: 44
Quality of Life: 16
