America's Top States For Business In 2011, CNBC

CNBC

CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...

, a division of NBC Universal

NBC Universal

NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...

, owned in part by Comcast

Comcast

Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...

 and General Electric

General Electric

General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...

, released its "America's Top States For Business 2011" report. This report is the second publication of its kind from CNBC, "Top States For Business 2010" and "Top States For Business 2009", being the first two reports. According to information compiled by CNBC, both from private industry sources, as well as State and Federal agencies publications, there have been increases and decreases in many U.S State's economies. Specifically, there has been sizable changes in state Population, state GDP per capita, Unemployment rates, Foreclosure rates, Budget gaps, and Corporate tax rates. CNBC's state rankings are based on 20 categories: Cost of Doing Business, Workforce, Quality of Life, Infrastructure & Transportation, Economy Education, Technology & Innovation, Business, Friendliness, Access to Capital, and Cost of Living.

Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

was ranked as #1 on CNBC's " America's Top States For Business 2011".

Category	Score	2011 Rank	2010 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	196	21	26
Workforce	227	12	9
Quality of Life	192	26	18
Infrastructure & Transportation	217	10	12
Economy	186	8	11
Education	177	6	13
Technology & Innovation	172	11	10
Business Friendliness	184	2	2
Access to Capital	82	10	9
Cost of Living	27	24	27
OVERALL	1660	1	2

CNBC: "America's Top States For Business 2011"

Previously in the 2010 report, Virginia was ranked as number 2 and in the 2009 report, Virgina was ranked as number 1. Virginia's current Governor is Bob McDonnell (R), the states Population is 8,001,024, with a GDP (2009 per capita) of $46,609. The Unemployment rate as of May 2011 is 6.0 percent, the Foreclosure rate as of May 2011 is One per 766 households, and the projected Budget gap for 2012 is $2.0 billion. Also the Corporate tax rate is 6.0 percent, and the largest employers are Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...

, Food Lion, and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

was ranked as #2 on CNBC's " America's Top States For Business 2011".

Category	Score	2011 Rank	2010 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	176	33	30
Workforce	203	14	16
Quality of Life	164	32	29
Infrastructure & Transportation	293	1	1
Economy	164	14	1
Education	113	27	30
Technology & Innovation	197	4	4
Business Friendliness	128	18	19
Access to Capital	94	4	7
Cost of Living	46	5	8
OVERALL	1578	2	1

CNBC: "America's Top States For Business 2011"

North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

was ranked as #3 on CNBC's " America's Top States For Business 2011".

Category	Score	2011 Rank	2010 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	238	8	15
Workforce	261	3	3
Quality of Life	163	33	32
Infrastructure & Transportation	234	3	10
Economy	84	41	37
Education	125	18	26
Technology & Innovation	171	12	11
Business Friendliness	154	12	13
Access to Capital	80	22	10
Cost of Living	29	22	23
OVERALL	1538	3	4

CNBC: "America's Top States For Business 2011"

Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

was ranked as #4 on CNBC's " America's Top States For Business 2011".

Category	Score	2011 Rank	2010 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	208	18	20
Workforce	259	4	2
Quality of Life	140	38	35
Infrastructure & Transportation	273	2	2
Economy	107	35	37
Education	118	22	28
Technology & Innovation	156	17	17
Business Friendliness	134	16	17
Access to Capital	76	13	13
Cost of Living	42	9	9
OVERALL	1513	4	10

CNBC: "America's Top States For Business 2011"

Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

was ranked as #5 on CNBC's " America's Top States For Business 2011".

Category	Score	2011 Rank	2010 Rank
Cost of Doing Business	179	30	25
Workforce	243	7	10
Quality of Life	257	7	2
Infrastructure & Transportation	176	26	36
Economy	128	26	8
Education	106	30	29
Technology & Innovation	169	14	12
Business Friendliness	164	6	9
Access to Capital	72	15	15
Cost of Living	18	33	35
OVERALL	1512	5	3

CNBC: "America's Top States For Business 2011"