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

No. 2 Virginia

No. 3 North Carolina

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