Market Data + Trends

The five best and worst states to do business in

Texas is still the best state to do business in, according to the 650 CEOs from across the country who took part in Chief Executive magazine’s eighth annual Best & Worst States Survey.
May 3, 2012
2 min read

Texas is still the best state to do business in, according to the 650 CEOs from across the country who took part in Chief Executive magazine’s eighth annual Best & Worst States Survey. The Lone Star State has been in the top spot every year since the survey began. Conversely, California was declared the worst state to do business in, also for the eighth consecutive year.

The five states with the best business conditions, as selected by the group of 650 CEOs, are:

1. Texas (2011 rank: 1)
2. Florida (2011 rank: 3)
3. North Carolina (2011 rank: 2)
4. Tennessee (2011 rank: 4)
5. Indiana (2011 rank: 6)

The five states with the worst business conditions are:

50. California (2011 rank: 50)
49. New York (2011 rank: 49)
48. Illinois (2011 rank: 48)
47. Massachusetts (2011 rank: 45)
46. Michigan (2011 rank: 46)

Conducted from Jan. 24-26, the Best & Worst States Survey asks CEOs to rank all 50 states based on business conditions within each state. Factors that are measured include regulations, tax policies, workforce quality, educational resources, quality of living, and infrastructure.

Louisiana moved up the most spots, rising from 27 to 13 in one year. On the other hand, Oregon dropped nine spots from 33 to 42 in the same period.

To see the rest of the list, click here.

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