Updated
Updated · OCRegister · Jul 22
California Ranks 15th for Business Climate as No. 1 Entrepreneurship Offsets No. 49 Costs
Updated
Updated · OCRegister · Jul 22

California Ranks 15th for Business Climate as No. 1 Entrepreneurship Offsets No. 49 Costs

1 articles · Updated · OCRegister · Jul 22

Summary

  • California placed 15th in a new national business-climate ranking built from 36 metrics across six yardsticks, landing well above its 27th-place consensus ranking in other scorecards.
  • No. 1 entrepreneurship drove the showing, while California also ranked No. 6 for workforce and No. 7 for economic strength despite a tougher operating environment.
  • No. 30 business friendliness and No. 49 costs held the state back, with only New York ranking as a costlier place to do business.
  • Utah took the top overall spot ahead of North Carolina, Texas, Colorado and Florida, while Alaska ranked last.
  • Weighting changes sharply altered California's result: doubling costs would drop it to No. 24, while doubling entrepreneurship would lift it to No. 8.

Insights

If California is a top state for business, why are companies and residents fleeing for lower-cost states?
With top innovation but crippling costs, is California’s economic model a powerhouse or a ticking time bomb?