By looking at the relative distribution of the votes among the leading states for each of the categories, one can determine if there is opportunity to take action to increase a state’s relative position. By focusing on target criteria, it provides policy opportunity to brand overall attractiveness for potential investment. For criteria such as business incentives, favorable general regulatory environment, utility rates, and most improved economic development policies, the distribution of the votes between the leading states was rather minimal.
For other criteria, such as cooperation and responsiveness, shovel-ready sites, access to capital, and overall corporate tax structure, the top states leading here are showing a more commanding position. This is especially true with the states perceived as having the leading workforce development programs, a key criterion for most all siting decisions. It appears that the states of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee are beginning to run away from the pack in this category, and given their collective history, it would be particularly costly for a new state to catch up to these current levels of performance.
For the states that aren’t in the top 10, it appears that there is ample opportunity to create policy to get on to the leader board. Whatever criteria leaders choose, the program design inherently must include an implementation timeline longer than the incumbent political administration to achieve meaningful results.
TOP STATES FOR DOING BUSINESS 2018
- 1.Georgia
- 2.Texas
- 3.Alabama
- 4.Tennessee
- 5.South Carolina
- 6.North Carolina
- 7.Louisiana
- 8.Mississippi
- 9.Indiana
- 10.Florida
- 11.Ohio
- 12.Arizona
- 13.tKentucky
- 13.tVirginia
- 15.Arkansas
- 16.Oklahoma
- 17.Utah
- 18.tMichigan
- 18.tNew York
- 20.Nevada
Individual Categories
Overall Cost of Doing Business
- 1.Texas
- 2.Tennessee
- 3.tGeorgia
- 3.tAlabama
- 5.tSouth Carolina
- 5.tMississippi
- 5.tIndiana
- 8.North Carolina
- 9.tLouisiana
- 9.tFlorida
- Other: KY
Corporate Tax Environment
- 1.Texas
- 2.tTennessee
- 2.tFlorida
- 4.Georgia
- 5.tNorth Carolina
- 5.tNevada
- 5.tSouth Dakota
- 8.South Carolina
- 9.tVirginia
- 9.tUtah
- Others: AL, IN, AZ, LA
Business Incentives Programs
- 1.South Carolina
- 2.tGeorgia
- 2.tAlabama
- 4.Mississippi
- 5.Texas
- 6.tTennessee
- 6.tLouisiana
- 8.Oklahoma
- 9.tIndiana
- 9.tOhio
- 9.tNew York
- 9.tNew Jersey
- Others: VA, KY
Access to Capital & Project Funding
- 1.California
- 2.tTexas
- 2.tNew York
- 4.North Carolina
- 5.tGeorgia
- 5.tMassachusetts
- 7.Florida
- 8.tTennessee
- 8.tIllinois
- 10.Louisiana
- Others: CO, NJ, MI, PA, CT, MD
Competitive Labor Environment
- 1.Texas
- 2.tGeorgia
- 2.tNorth Carolina
- 4.Florida
- 5.Tennessee
- 6.tAlabama
- 6.tIndiana
- 6.tArizona
- 9.tUtah
- 9.tOhio
- Others: SC, MS
Leading Workforce Development Programs
- 1.Georgia
- 2.Alabama
- 3.Louisiana
- 4.tSouth Carolina
- 4.tTennessee
- 6.North Carolina
- 7.tVirginia
- 7.tOhio
- 9.Florida
- 10.tMississippi
- 10.tIowa
- 10.tCalifornia
Shovel-Ready Sites Program
- 1.Tennessee
- 2.Georgia
- 3.Alabama
- 4.South Carolina
- 5.North Carolina
- 6.Ohio
- 7.Texas
- 8.tIndiana
- 8.tMississippi
- 10.tKentucky
- 10.tLouisiana
- Others: AR, VA, IA, WI
Cooperative & Responsive State Government
- 1.Georgia
- 2.South Carolina
- 3.North Carolina
- 4.Alabama
- 5.Tennessee
- 6.tMississippi
- 6.tLouisiana
- 8.Arizona
- 9.tIndiana
- 9.tVirginia
- Others: OH, TX, AR
Favorable General Regulatory Environment
- 1.tAlabama
- 1.tGeorgia
- 3.Texas
- 4.South Carolina
- 5.Tennessee
- 6.Louisiana
- 7.Mississippi
- 8.Florida
- Others: NC, IN, AR, KY, UT, KS, NV
Favorable Utility Rates
- 1.Alabama
- 2.Georgia
- 3.tIndiana
- 3.tOhio
- 3.tMichigan
- 6.tKentucky
- 6.tNorth Carolina
- 8.Tennessee
- 9.tSouth Carolina
- 9.tArizona
- 9.tVirginia
- Others: AK, ID, CO
Most Improved Economic Development Policies
- 1.Alabama
- 2.Georgia
- 3.Texas
- 4.tSouth Carolina
- 4.tMississippi
- 6.Tennessee
- 7.tLouisiana
- 7.tIndiana
- 9.Arizona
- 10.Kentucky
- Others: FL, OH, AR
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Categories:
- Overall Cost of Doing Business
- Corporate Tax Environment
- Business Incentive Programs
- Access to Capital & Project Funding
- Competitive Labor Environment
- Leading Workforce Development Programs
- Shovel-Ready Sites Program
- Cooperative & Responsive State Government
- Favorable General Regulatory Environment
- Favorable Utility Rates
- Most Improved Economic Development Policies