To borrow a line from the movies, companies in 2026 feel the need for speed.
With one eye on the opportunities associated with amazing technological advances, large investments and growing equity markets, and the other facing inflation, global chaos and growing risks, businesses choose to build while the building is good.
“We’re very busy, and it’s been one of the busiest times we’ve ever had,” said site selector veteran Larry Gigerich, managing director of Ginovus and chairman of the Site Selectors Guild.
“One of the biggest things we’re seeing right now is the acceleration of marketing,” Gigerich said. Companies want things like shovel-ready sites and quick regulatory approvals, allowing them to catch up on time when they can’t. “I think there is concern that we will have a change, that there must be some change in the economy,” he said.
Countries are aggressively positioning themselves as the best places for companies to survive and thrive in these uncertain times, but which regions really deliver? CNBC’s exclusive America’s Top States for Business survey is back to find out.
The 20th year of the study, which scores and ranks all 50 states in ten competitive categories. Our time-tested approach aims to hold states to their standards as they promote themselves as good places to do business.
Rulers set their opinion at the highest level
Governors and economic development officials are closely watching CNBC’s rankings.
The ten-year economic development strategy unveiled by Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro through 2024 lists “Becom(ing) a Top 10 State for Business” as one of its five success metrics, specifically referring to CNBC’s rankings. The state finished 17th overall in 2025.
Last year, Democratic Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek laid out a similar goal in the form of a “road to prosperity,” hoping to improve on CNBC’s No. 39 of CNBC in 2025. The document also calls for the state to improve its Workforce ranking to 23rd and enter the top ten.
In March, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine highlighted the state’s 2025 position — the best of all — during the state’s annual state of the state address.
“Last year, CNBC named Ohio one of the top five states in the country for business,” he said to applause, “and No. 1 in the Midwest.”
Raising the bar in 2026
In 2026, our Top States study puts states to their toughest test yet. This year’s scoring system includes 138 metrics, the most yet, across ten categories.
Specifically addressing the companies’ need to accelerate marketing, this year’s research features in permitting times and regulatory storms – or lack thereof.
“Capital follows the certainty and the knowledge that there will be no red tape and pain in the decision matrix of where I put my money,” said Stuart Lacey, founder and CEO of Labrynth, a San Francisco-based AI firm that created the Red Tape Index to rank regions and provided other data for this year’s CNBC survey.
The study also looks more closely at infrastructure than ever before, including the ever-growing needs for affordable and reliable energy, as well as the availability of abundant water.
Economic growth and stability, a major focus of our 2025 research with the second Trump administration just starting to lay out their policies, remain a big factor in 2026 – we now have more than a year of hard data on how states are handling things like taxes and federal budget cuts.
Also important: the growth and quality of each state’s workforce.
“There’s still availability and quality disparities,” Gigerich said, “and the market hasn’t gotten there yet.”
Also weighed are the Cost of Doing Business and the Cost of Living as inflation continues. We measure Quality of Life as states try to attract skilled workers.
“Investing in a quality environment is the best thing you can do to attract and retain talent,” Gigrerich said.
The survey also measures Technology and Innovation, and Business Friendliness, particularly related to emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and predictive markets.
And the standards look at Education and Access to Language.
Watch this section of CNBC.com and CNBC TV in the coming weeks as we examine what it takes for the country to be competitive today. CNBC reveals America’s Top Business Nations for 2026 on July 15. You’ll be able to see where your state ranks overall, and in each of the 10 competitive categories.
Be sure to join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #TopStates.
