Alabama is Top Ranked

2011 Top States For Doing Business Survey Results

For the second year in a row, Area Development Magazine Special Presentation (Fall 2011) has conducted a survey of a select group of highly respected location consultants who work with a nationwide client base. We asked the consultants to name their top-5 state choices in 12 site selection categories. Here are the top overall states:

States were ranked in each of the 12 site selection categories based on the number of times they were named as a "top-5" choice by the responding consultants. Next, a top-5 state's ranking in each of the 12 categories was assigned a weight in accordance with its position in these individual categories. Based on these total weighted scores, Texas is far and away the consultants' #1 choice for doing business, followed by Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina (with weighted scores only a point apart), and finally Indiana in the #5 spot. Taking the #6–#10 rankings based on weighted scores are Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and — surprisingly — California, in that order.

2011 Top States for Doing Business

                                                           1. TEXAS                    6. LOUISIANA

                                                           2. GEORGIA                7. NORTH CAROLINA

                                                           3. ALABAMA                8. TENNESSEE

                                                           4. SOUTH CAROLINA   9. MISSISSIPPI

                                                           5. INDIANA               10. CALIFORNIA