Ohio tops 2026 America’s Top States for Business ranking; North Carolina second

According to CNBC, Ohio ranked No. 1 in the 2026 America’s Top States for Business study with 1,623 points, after placing 30th in the inaugural 2007 ranking. CNBC said Ohio finished No. 1 for Infrastructure and No. 1 for Cost of Doing Business, and noted the state earmarked $175 million for site readiness last year and listed 26 “SiteOhio Authenticated” development sites as of this month. CNBC also reported Ohio has 224 data centers and is set to host a 10-gigawatt, $4.2 billion data center under a public-private partnership announced in March between SoftBank and electric utility AEP, while Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a temporary freeze in May on the state’s 100% sales tax break for data center developers. In the broader rankings, North Carolina placed No. 2, Virginia No. 3, Texas No. 4 and Minnesota No. 5, while Arkansas was named the most improved state, rising 13 spots to No. 28 overall.