Best states to do business in the United States (2025)

Starting a business in the right place is very important. Here is a ranking of the best states to do business in the United States of America. Virginia is the best state to do business while Alaska is the worst.

Rank	State	Cost of doing business	Business friendliness	Access to capital	Cost of living
1	Virginia	26	11	9	32
2	North Carolina	15	9	8	23
3	Utah	22	10	17	26
4	Texas	10	32	3	13
5	Tennessee	8	20	14	8
6	Georgia	29	22	10	8
7	Minnesota	42	28	14	30
8	Colorado	38	29	16	34
9	Washington	36	39	11	38
10	Ohio	2	47	7	14
11	Michigan	16	25	20	11
12	Maryland	43	26	18	44
13	Nebraska	24	6	39	16
14	Massachusetts	49	32	6	46
15	Illinois	29	48	3	21
16	Idaho	13	2	45	19
17	Florida	32	37	5	28
18	North Dakota	18	3	47	25
19	Indiana	9	12	24	10
20	Iowa	13	34	36	12
21	Wisconsin	19	23	21	23
22	New York	41	49	2	49
23	Pennsylvania	28	39	12	33
24	Connecticut	45	8	18	43
25	Missouri	5	23	22	5
26	New Jersey	44	42	12	41
27	Delaware	34	13	38	35
28	Kansas	16	15	29	2
29	South Dakota	12	1	34	28
30	Arizona	37	7	26	31
31	Alabama	22	19	25	6
32	Oklahoma	1	18	27	3
33	California	47	50	1	48
34	Montana	20	5	41	27
35	Oregon	33	44	28	47
36	Wyoming	25	4	49	20
37	New Hampshire	35	13	40	36
38	New Mexico	11	38	31	7
39	South Carolina	31	27	30	22
40	Nevada	27	16	35	37
41	Kentucky	6	41	32	18
42	Vermont	38	31	49	40
43	Arkansas	4	34	37	4
44	Louisiana	3	45	23	17
45	Mississippi	7	43	32	1
46	Rhode Island	46	30	41	42
47	West Virginia	21	46	47	15
48	Maine	40	21	41	39
49	Hawaii	50	36	41	50
50	Alaska	48	16	46	45

The data for the ranking is based on a CNBC study.