18. Ohio

The Buckeye State has shaken off its rust belt past, offering a strong infrastructure and lower than average costs. But unions remain strong and the population is barely growing.

Category
Score
2014 Rank
2013 Rank
Cost of Doing Business 292 15 23
Workforce 97 46 (Tie) 47
Quality of Life 88 43 44
Infrastructure & Transportation 243 6 11
Economy 246 15 (Tie) 22
Education 92 15 (Tie) 12
Technology & Innovation 201 17 16
Business Friendliness 80 33 33
Cost of Living 36 15 14
Access to Capital 11 29 (Tie) 17
Overall 1386 18 28

Economic Profile

Governor: John Kasich, Republican

Population: 11,570,808

GDP growth: 1.8 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2014): 5.7 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 0 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 5.42 percent

Gasoline tax: 46 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aa1/stable

Major private employer: Wal-Mart

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, JobsOhio

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