America’s Top States for Business 2023: The full rankings

To rank America’s Top States for Business in 2023, CNBC scored all 50 states on 86 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 2023

OVERALL RANK	STATE	WORK- FORCE	INFRA- STRUCTURE	ECONOMY	LIFE, HEALTH & INCLUSION	COST OF DOING BUSINESS	TECHN & INNOVATION	BUSINESS FRIENDLI- NESS	EDUCATION	ACCESS TO CAPITAL	COST OF LIVING
1	North Carolina	1	16	3	34	18	6	10	7	6	27
2	Virginia	7	10	13	16	34	15	6	1	4	25
3	Tennessee	9	3	5	43	7	27	19	5	15	22
4	Georgia	8	1	4	39	27	19	35	21	23	14
5	Minnesota	17	3	24	4	39	4	30	13	20	17
6	Texas	2	24	2	50	16	8	25	35	1	22
7	Washington	5	23	17	7	37	3	22	32	17	44
8	Florida	15	14	1	41	26	20	26	36	16	36
9	Utah	6	29	6	38	22	23	7	44	23	39
10	Michigan	24	26	29	24	6	12	15	36	10	7
11	Colorado	9	10	32	8	38	10	18	21	12	35
12	Ohio	39	6	21	23	4	16	40	40	5	3
13	Indiana	35	5	9	44	5	22	22	45	13	3
14	Arizona	3	7	15	35	33	18	13	42	17	40
15	Massachusetts	13	34	26	8	49	1	19	3	3	47
15	Pennsylvania	24	17	18	27	24	11	31	13	6	16
17	Illinois	28	2	33	17	32	14	39	2	6	9
18	Delaware	4	19	10	21	42	24	26	46	27	30
19	New Jersey	16	21	19	3	44	21	48	4	11	30
20	New York	46	18	12	14	41	5	46	13	6	46
21	Oregon	14	32	26	6	31	9	43	30	20	48
22	Maryland	28	15	31	11	47	7	24	21	13	27
23	Iowa	23	26	42	13	20	27	33	26	35	1
23	Kansas	30	10	40	30	13	34	11	5	45	2
25	California	12	26	37	19	45	1	47	9	1	49
26	Idaho	20	38	8	33	21	25	14	47	30	40
27	South Carolina	31	8	7	46	13	37	32	27	41	21
28	Nebraska	36	35	34	22	19	33	8	20	40	12
29	Vermont	41	37	39	1	40	31	16	10	32	36
30	Nevada	11	9	11	31	30	47	9	50	25	36
31	Connecticut	21	33	42	10	43	13	16	13	27	34
32	Missouri	49	21	16	45	2	30	29	11	17	7
33	Wisconsin	38	39	20	36	17	17	33	13	35	20
34	South Dakota	47	31	28	31	11	42	2	27	37	27
35	Montana	42	40	23	28	22	35	4	13	41	45
36	North Dakota	43	25	46	18	29	44	1	21	41	17
37	Wyoming	18	36	35	25	28	50	2	11	30	22
38	Kentucky	33	29	25	36	10	41	40	36	45	17
39	Maine	22	50	38	2	34	40	26	19	48	32
40	New Hampshire	34	42	44	15	36	35	4	8	32	40
41	Oklahoma	36	20	30	49	3	38	21	48	25	5
42	Alabama	44	13	21	46	12	32	42	34	37	11
43	New Mexico	27	45	36	29	24	27	44	21	47	26
44	Arkansas	31	46	14	42	15	49	44	42	20	12
45	Rhode Island	19	44	48	12	46	25	37	41	29	43
46	West Virginia	50	41	48	26	1	47	49	32	39	5
47	Hawaii	40	43	41	5	50	39	36	36	50	50
48	Mississippi	45	48	47	39	9	46	50	27	41	9
49	Louisiana	48	46	45	48	7	45	37	30	32	14
50	Alaska	26	49	50	20	48	43	12	49	49	32