The Best States For Business and Careers
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
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
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
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: 4Business 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: 2Business 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: 10Business 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: 8Business 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: 6Business 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: 9Business 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: 15Business 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: 7Business 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: 11Business 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: 14Business 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: 12Business 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: 17Business 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: 34Business 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: 16Business 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: 29Business 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: 19Business 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: 21Business 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: 32Business 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: 23Business 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: 36Business 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: 13Business 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: 28Business 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: 18Business 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: 22Business 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: 31Business 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: 30Business 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: 33Business 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: 43Business 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: 26Business 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: 20Business 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: 25Business 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: 27Business 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: 35Business 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: 24Business 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: 37Business 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: 38Business 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: 45Business 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: 46Business 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: 42Business 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: 48Business 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: 44Business 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: 47Business 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: 39Business 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: 49Business 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: 40Business 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: 50Business 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: 41Business Costs Rank: 47
Labor Supply Rank: 26
Regulatory Environment: 48
Economic Climate: 45
Growth Prospects: 44
Quality of Life: 16
