2. Georgia

The Peach State is the cream of the crop almost any way you slice it, though prospects in the schools are fuzzy.

George Kavallines | CNBC
Category
Score
2017 Rank
2016 Rank
Workforce 357 3 7
Infrastructure 230 4 4
Cost of Doing Business 191 26 (Tie) 31
Economy 272 1 9
Quality of Life 146 28 (Tie) 37
Technology & Innovation 124 23 13
Education 85 33 33
Business Friendliness 93 19 14
Access to Capital 81 9 (Tie) 6
Cost of Living 37 14 17
Overall 1616 2 8

Economic Profile

Governor: Nathan Deal, Republican

Population: 10,310,371

GDP growth (Q4 2016): 1.8 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2017): 4.9 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 6 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 6 percent

Gasoline tax: 31.09 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook (Moody's, S&P): Aaa, AAA stable

Major private employers: Delta Air Lines, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company

Economic profile sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute (excluding 18.40 cent/gallon federal tax), Moody's Investor Service, S&P Global Market Intelligence

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