Which state has the best public school in ?

Total Score – 33.62
Quality Rank – 49
Safety Rank – 48
The District of Columbia, located on the north bank of the Potomac River, is the capital city of United States. The centers of all three branches of the U.S. federal government are located in the city, as are many of the nation’s monuments and museums. Washington, D.C. hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) among other international organizations.

The headquarters of other institutions such as national trade unions, lobbying groups, and professional associations are also located in the District. Washington is home to a number of higher learning institutions including the National Defense University, National Defense Intelligence College, University of the District of Columbia, American University, George Washington University, Georgetown University and Howard University among others.

Total Score – 35.87
Quality Rank – 50
Safety Rank – 33
Alaska’s economy is unlike any other in the U.S. It is estimated that the oil and gas industry is responsible for more than 80% of the state’s revenues.

Demand for oil underscores Alaska’s economic development, and the drop in oil prices has hampered the recent performance. Alaska’s economy shrunk faster than any other state over the past five years (down 2.6% per year), and net migration out of the state also ranks worst in the nation. The employment outlook is the worst in the country over the next five years, according to Moody’s, with the state not expected to add any jobs on a net basis.

Total Score – 37.53
Quality Rank – 48
Safety Rank – 30
The Grand Canyon State’s job and economic growth forecasts over the next five years are among the best in the U.S.

Population growth through 2022 is expected to be the third fastest in the country, as employment growth is expected to be equally strong. People gravitate towards Arizona for its warm weather and business-friendly climate. The percent of union workers rates among the lowest in the U.S.

Total Score – 38.54
Quality Rank – 47
Safety Rank – 36
While mining remains a substantial sector of its economy, tourism reigns as Nevada’s chief employer. Nevada’s unemployment rate over the past five years has been the worst in the country, although it is down to 4.6% from 13% in 2011.

Irrespective of this fact, people continue to flock to the state with Nevada expected to have the highest population growth through 2021. People are chasing jobs with the state projected by Moody’s Analytics to have the second-fastest employment growth during that time.

Total Score – 38.87
Quality Rank – 45
Safety Rank – 43
Mississippi finishing last in 2014, but has moved up six spots since then in the Best States for Business thanks to an improved economic climate relative to the rest of the U.S. The state still finished in the bottom two rankings in two of our six main categories, including labor supply and growth prospects.

The state ranks in the bottom three on both college and high school attainment rates. Another issue: in addition to having the lowest median household income at $43,781 ($3,000 lower than West Virginia), Mississippi is burdened with the highest poverty rate in the U.S. A couple of positives: a small union workforce and an incentive climate that is one of the best in the nation.

Total Score – 38.98
Quality Rank – 43
Safety Rank – 45
The largest employer in the state is the U.S. Army base of Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, Ala.

With dozens of suppliers setting up facilities in Alabama, including Honda Motor, Hyundai Motor, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Motor, the state has become a hub for automotive activity over the last two decades. Business tax costs are 18% below the national average in Alabama, according to Moody’s Analytics, and the state offers a very pro-business incentive climate.

Total Score – 39.79
Quality Rank – 42
Safety Rank – 49
The outlook in Oregon is bright. Household incomes are expected to rise faster than any other state over the next five years and job growth is projected by Moody’s Analytics to be seventh best.

By revenue, Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike is three times larger than the next biggest Oregon company. The sportswear giant has sales of $36 billion and projects $50 billion by 2023. Nike’s founder, Phil Knight, is worth $30 billion and is 13 times richer than anyone else in the state.

Total Score – 39.91
Quality Rank – 44
Safety Rank – 31
After three straight last-place finishes, West Virginia moves up one spot in Forbes’ Best States for Business. Population growth has been anemic—worst in the U.S.—and the state’s college attainment rate is the lowest in the country, with only 20% of its population over the age of 25 possessing a post-secondary degree.

The state’s legal climate ranks among the worst when measuring business friendliness, according to the Institute for Legal Reform. West Virginia is the second-biggest coal-producing state in the U.S. after Wyoming. One plus: the state’s corporate net income tax rate dropped from 9% to 6.5% between 2007 and 2014.

Total Score – 42.24
Quality Rank – 40
Safety Rank – 46
Like its neighbor North Carolina, South Carolina has experienced massive net migration into the state over the past five years—resulting in the third-highest rate in the U.S.

The state has been a big proponent of using incentives to lure foreign investment and U.S. companies alike. The Palmetto State’s economy also benefits from its status as a right-to-work state. South Carolina has the lowest union membership as a percentage of its workforce in the country at just 2.6%.

Total Score – 45.09
Quality Rank – 41
Safety Rank – 13
Tourism and the U.S. military are the significant drivers of Hawaii’s $92 billion economy.

Hawaii has one of the most onerous business tax situations. Another drawback: the highest cost of living in the U.S. Hawaii’s median home price of $708,000 is $115,000 more than any other state. Tough to beat the weather though.

Total Score – 45.67
Quality Rank – 37
Safety Rank – 42
Georgia has scored well on the Best States rankings in recent years thanks to an improved economy and pro-business climate. Big companies headquartered in the state include Home Depot, UPS, Coca-Cola and Southern Company.

Union workers make up only 4.5% of Georgia’s employment base, the sixth-lowest rate in the country. One major drawback: 15% of the population lives below the poverty line, the second highest of any state ranked in the top 10. The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world as measured by passenger traffic with more than 100 million people annually.

Total Score – 46.33
Quality Rank – 38
Safety Rank – 21
If it were a country, California’s $2.9 trillion economy would be the fifth biggest in the world, ranked between Germany and the United Kingdom. The state represents 14% of the U.S. economy. Home prices in the state have doubled from the lows of 2011 and finally surpassed their pre-recession highs in 2017.

California’s outlook is bright with economic and job growth both expected to be strong over the next five years. Another plus is the $110 billion in venture capital money invested in California companies over the past three years, an amount which is more than five times the total of any other state.

Total Score – 46.90
Quality Rank – 35
Safety Rank – 41
The $1.8 trillion Texas economy is the second biggest in the U.S., behind only California. Texas ranks third for current economic climate and first for its growth prospects, thanks to strong employment and income growth forecasts over the next five years.

In addition, there are 102 of the 1,000 largest public and private companies in the U.S. based in Texas, including giants like AT&T, ExxonMobil, and Dell. Startup activity ranks second in the nation among larger states, per the Kauffman Foundation. One of the only things holding Texas back is the education rate among its labor supply. Only 84% of adults have a high school degree, which is second-lowest among the states.

Total Score – 46.90
Quality Rank – 39
Safety Rank – 15
Tennessee’s major industries include agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located in the eastern part of the state, is among the nation’s most visited national parks.

The Volunteer State houses the corporate headquarters of FedEx, AutoZone and International Paper, all based in Memphis. Tennessee boasts a pro-business regulatory climate, as well as a top Aaa rating from Moody’s on its general obligation debt. The state’s fiscal health rates among the best of all states, according to the Mercatus Center.

Total Score – 48.79
Quality Rank – 36
Safety Rank – 16
Oklahoma’s economy had been booming, but slumping energy prices have dimmed Oklahoma’s outlook due to its importance to the state. It is the third biggest producer state for natural gas and fifth biggest for crude oil. Chesapeake Energy and Devon Energy are both fixtures in Oklahoma City.

Economic growth is expected to be the slowest in the nation over the next five years, per Moody’s Analytics. The dimmed outlook contributed to a eight-spot drop for Oklahoma on the Best States ranking over the past three years. The business tax climate is one of the best in the country and employers also benefit from energy costs that are 26% below the national average.

Total Score – 48.91
Quality Rank – 32
Safety Rank – 25
North Carolina ranks as FORBES’ Best State for Business for the second straight year (2017 was its first time on top). With one of the highest net migration rates in the U.S., people have been flocking to North Carolina for the past decade. The state has the second smallest union workforce in the U.S. in terms of percent of total employment (South Carolina is first). The resulting benefit is labor costs that are 9% below the national average—sixth lowest in the country.

North Carolina has ranked in the top five overall for 14 straight years. One impact on North Carolina’s business community: the passage of the controversial HB2 or “Bathroom Bill,” which requires citizens to use the public facility that corresponds with their biological gender. The NBA pulled the All-Star game from Charlotte and the NCAA and ACC also bailed on hosting championships in the state. PayPal and Deutsche Bank froze expansion plans after the law passed. The NBA awarded the 2018 All-Star Game to Charlotte in May two months after the N.C. legislature partially repealed the bill.

Total Score – 50.07
Quality Rank – 27
Safety Rank – 44
Since Governor Rick Snyder took office in 2011, Michigan has undergone huge changes. The state became the 24th right-to-work state in March 2013.

Snyder repealed the Michigan Business Tax and also rolled back taxes on personally property owned by businesses. In addition, Michigan restructured its incentive programs to improve transparency. Michigan moved up 18 spots in Best States rankings from No. 49 in 2009. The state still has issues. Net migration and population growth are weak and labor costs are well above the U.S. average.

Total Score – 50.99
Quality Rank – 28
Safety Rank – 32
Utah occupied the top spot in Forbes’ Best States for Business six times in seven years between 2010 and 2016 (Virginia in 2013 was the lone outlier) but fell to third in 2017 due to rising business costs and a softer economic outlook. The state has a very pro-business climate and companies benefit from energy costs that are 15% below the national average, according to Moody’s Analytics.

Utah’s employment has expanded 3.3% a year over the past five years—third best in the U.S. Utah is well known for its winter activities and tourism has soared since the 2002 Winter Olympics. With two-thirds of Utahns being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Utah is the most religiously homogeneous state in the U.S.

Total Score – 51.20
Quality Rank – 26
Safety Rank – 34
Missouri’s major industries include aerospace, food processing, chemicals, printing/publishing, electrical equipment, and beer. Led by Monsanto— one of the largest gene companies in America that is based in St. Louis— the state has a growing science and biotechnology field.

Missouri ranks third overall for its incentive offerings and economic development outreach, according to Pollina Corporate Real Estate, and the state has an Aaa rating on its general obligation debt from Moody’s.

Total Score – 51.36
Quality Rank – 30
Safety Rank – 17
At $793 billion, Pennsylvania has the sixth biggest economy in the U.S. and is home to 44 of the 1,000 largest public and private companies in the U.S. by sales. With top-caliber schools like Swarthmore, Haverford and the University of Pennsylvania based in the state, companies take advantage of the local graduate pool.

Companies are less enamored, however, with the following two assessments of the state: Pennsylvania is expected to have the nation’s third slowest population growth through 2022 and the Tax Foundation ranks Pennsylvania second worst for corporate headquarters based on its analysis of state tax costs on business.

Total Score – 51.93
Quality Rank – 29
Safety Rank – 18
Ohio has moved up the Best States rankings 18 spots from a low of 38 in 2011. Credit lower business costs and a dramatically improved economy. Five-year economic growth was second-worst in the U.S. in 2011 and now is in the top half of the states.

Ohio ranks second in FORBES’ quality of life metric thanks to low living costs, short commutes and a plethora of top-rate colleges and cultural and recreational opportunities. Manufacturing and financial services account for the largest sectors of Ohio’s $684 billion gross state product. The state is home to 49 of the 1,000 largest public and private companies in the U.S.—fifth-most of any state. Some Ohio-based companies include Procter & Gamble, Kroger and Macy’s.

Total Score – 52.10
Quality Rank – 25
Safety Rank – 22
Between 2006 and 2011, the bursting of the housing bubble crushed Florida’s economy, with home prices sinking 47% statewide. The decline catapulted Florida into having a surge of business closures. Florida’s economy is, however, on the rebound.

The state’s projected population and income growth are expected to be the second-best in the country over the next five years, while employment gains rank third. Florida ranks third among larger states in the Kauffman Foundation’s Index of Startup Activity.

Total Score – 52.27
Quality Rank – 23
Safety Rank – 24
South Dakota’s business costs are the second-lowest in the country at 15% below the national average. Retail, finance, and healthcare make up the primary service industries in the state. In 1981, Citibank established significant operations in South Dakota in order to take advantage of its favorable banking regulations; the company employs more than 3,000 people today in the state.

South Dakota’s $3.1 trillion in bank assets are the most of any state and represent nearly one-fifth of all bank assets in the U.S. The government comprises another important segment of the state’s economy with Ellsworth Air Force Base the second-largest employer in the state.

Total Score – 52.69
Quality Rank – 22
Safety Rank – 23
Moody’s has bestowed Indiana with its top Aaa rating on its debt since 2010 and the state has a very friendly business climate from a regulatory standpoint.

The Hoosier State made news in 2012 after becoming the 23rd right-to-work state in the U.S. Another plus: the cost of living is 5% below the national average. Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant, Eli Lilly, is the state’s largest private employer.

Total Score – 52.78
Quality Rank – 18
Safety Rank – 37
Montana’s economy held up better than most states during the economic downturn and unemployment is expected to average a scant 3.5% in 2019. Agriculture is a major employer in the state with roughly two-thirds of the total land dedicated to farmland or agriculture.

Startup activity is also high with the Kauffman Foundation rating it the fourth-best among smaller states by population. High school attainment ranks third highest in the U.S. Another plus: the fourth shortest commute times of any state, with a median of 18 minutes.

Total Score – 54.34
Quality Rank – 20
Safety Rank – 19
Kentucky is best known for its horse racing, bourbon distilleries, automobile manufacturing, tobacco, and college basketball. Horse racing is a $4 billion industry in the state and the Kentucky Derby Run for the Roses generates more than $400 million annually in economic impact for Kentucky.

The state has more than 500 motor vehicle-related facilities that employ 100,000 workers. Kentucky produces the third most cars of any state in the U.S. Kentucky became the 27th state to adopt right-to-work laws in 2016.

Total Score – 54.36
Quality Rank – 31
Safety Rank – 3
Delaware’s economic outlook has improved over the past 12 months, helping to push its overall rank up five spots this year in Forbes’ Best States for Business. More than 50% of U.S. publicly traded companies are incorporated in Delaware because of its business-friendly corporate law.

The state’s economic and industrial development is closely tied to the Du Pont family, which founded EI du Pont de Nemours, one of the world’s largest chemical companies. Business costs are 25% below the U.S. average per Moody’s and the lowest among states thanks to the lowest labor costs based on labor compensation relative to production.

Total Score – 54.58
Quality Rank – 17
Safety Rank – 10
A cradle for innovation, Washington is the birthplace for a spectrum of iconic companies, including Microsoft, Amazon.com, Nordstrom, Starbucks, Boeing and Costco.

Venture capitalists are always searching for the next great Washington company, pouring $4.6 billion of VC money—fifth most in the U.S.—into the state between 2014 and 2016. The state has the lowest energy costs in the U.S. at 26% below the national average per Moody’s Analytics. Though Washington does not collect personal or corporate income taxes, the business and occupation tax (B & O) affects most businesses.

Total Score – 54.78
Quality Rank – 19
Safety Rank – 14
Rhode Island had a net migration out of the state every year from 2005 to 2013. With the seventh-worst average unemployment rate over the past five years, residents are leaving the state in search of jobs.

Rhode Island had been stuck in the bottom five overall of Forbes Best States for Business for seven straight years before jumping four spots in 2016 thanks to improved scores for its labor supply and economic outlook. Another plus: a high percentage of millennials relative to other New England states who can act as cheap, trainable labor.

Total Score – 55.33
Quality Rank – 13
Safety Rank – 35
Iowa has transformed its agricultural economy over the past 50 years to a diversified one that covers a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, food processing, financial services and biotechnology.

Des Moines is a major financial services hub, with big employers like Principal Financial and Wells Fargo. Iowa’s current unemployment rate ranks among the lowest in the U.S. Iowa also scores strongly on both the regulatory environment and business costs, which are 12% below the national average.

Total Score – 56.82
Quality Rank – 16
Safety Rank – 5
Maine ranked last four straight years in Forbes’ Best States for Business between 2010 and 2013. Much of the blame for the poor showing in recent years can be placed on the state’s high corporate tax burden and lousy job and economic growth forecast.

Job and income growth are expected to be among the slowest in the U.S. through 2022. Maine has few big businesses located there, including none of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies by sales. Maine has the oldest population of any state with a median age of 45.

Total Score – 57.02
Quality Rank – 8
Safety Rank – 37
Wyoming’s economy is different from most states with mineral extraction and tourism comprising major industry sectors. The federal government owns roughly half of the state’s landmass. Top tourist attractions include Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Independence Rock.

Yellowstone opened as the world’s first national park and attracted 4.1 million visitors in 2017, down 3% from the previous year when it set a record. The Tax Foundation ranks Wyoming first in its analysis of state tax costs on business. Wyoming is the least populous state in the U.S.

Total Score – 57.03
Quality Rank – 11
Safety Rank – 29
The development of the Bakken oil shale fields in the western part of the state fueled the state’s meteoric rise, but the state’s robust economy has been dinged by the fall in energy prices though with the economy shrinking in 2015 and 2016.

North Dakota dropped 19 spots overall in the Best States rankings over the past three years. Household incomes are forecasted to grow the slowest in the country over the next five years.

Total Score – 57.59
Quality Rank – 9
Safety Rank – 26
Wisconsin’s economy is driven by manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare. The state is also the nation’s leading producer of cheese.

The job outlook has improved dramatically to roughly the U.S. average, versus No. 49 earlier in the decade. The high school attainment rate is seventh-best in the U.S.

Total Score – 57.82
Quality Rank – 10
Safety Rank – 20
Labor costs are high, but employers are willing to pay up for one of the most educated workforces in the U.S. The college attainment rate is third-highest among states at 40%. Maryland also benefits from being the home of Johns Hopkins University, one of the top research institutions in the country.

The school will benefit from a recent $1.8 pledge by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to his alma mater to boost financial aid for low- and middle-income students. At 9.3%, Maryland’s poverty rate is the second-lowest in the country (New Hampshire is first). Moody’s assigns Maryland’s debt its strongest Aaa rating.

Total Score – 60.34
Quality Rank – 6
Safety Rank – 27
Minnesota’s rank is based on a strong current economic climate, labor supply and quality of life. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is home to 65% of the state’s population. It also serves as the state’s economic hub, with companies such as Target, U.S. Bancorp, General Mills, 3M and Medtronic headquartered there.

Minnesota has the highest percentage of adults with a high school degree at 93% (it ranks ninth for college attainment). With its good schools, healthy populous and abundance of recreation and leisure options, the state ranks third overall on Forbes’ quality of life measurement.

Total Score – 63.03
Quality Rank – 7
Safety Rank – 2
Virginia ranked as the Best State for Business as recently as 2013, but higher business costs and a declining economic climate have pushed it lower. The state ranked among the top two states every year from 2006 through 2013. Virginia ranks first for its regulatory climate because of its strong incentive offerings and business-friendly government policies.

Virginia has a widely diverse economy that includes the local and federal government, military, farming, and manufacturing. The state scored a big win in 2018 when e-commerce giant Amazon announced plans to locate one of its new headquarters in Arlington County’s Crystal City neighborhoods. The move should add 25,000 jobs. The state is nicknamed Old Dominion and the Mother of Presidents after the eight U.S. presidents born there.

Total Score – 63.18
Quality Rank – 5
Safety Rank – 4
At $34 billion, Vermont has the smallest economy in the U.S. Its five-year average unemployment rate of 3.6% was the fifth-lowest among states, but Vermont suffers from business costs that are 12% above the national average.

The state’s economic outlook is also weak with job and income growth expected to badly lag the rest of the country over the next five years. Vermont is the leading producer of maple syrup in the country.

Total Score – 65.11
Quality Rank – 4
Safety Rank – 7
Like the rest of the northeast, New Hampshire suffers from high labor and energy costs. One advantage the state has over its neighbors, however, is on the corporate taxes front, with Moody’s Analytics’ figures placing New Hampshire 23% below the national average.

The Granite State also has the lowest poverty rate in the U.S. and its unemployment rate has averaged 3.7% over the past five years—sixth-best in the country.

Total Score – 66.93
Quality Rank – 2
Safety Rank – 11
Income inequality is huge in Connecticut, with the disparity most pronounced when comparing southern towns like New Canaan and Greenwich with Hartford, the state’s capital.

Business costs are 10% higher than the national average, due in part to energy costs that are 62% higher. The Nutmeg State rates fifth overall in quality of life thanks to low crime and poverty rates, a healthy populous and strong schools. But the regulatory climate and fiscal health rank among the worst in the nation.

Total Score – 67.09
Quality Rank – 3
Safety Rank – 9
New Jersey’s economy is centered on pharmaceuticals, financial services, telecommunications, food processing, and tourism. It also benefits as bedroom communities for both Philadelphia and New York.

Though business and living costs are among the nation’s highest, New Jersey compensates by having one of the most educated labor forces. New Jersey scores poorly for its regulatory climate and fiscal health. Only Illinois has a worse rating on its general obligation debt than New Jersey’s A3. New Jersey has the third-highest median household income in the country, behind only Maryland and Massachusetts.