Offering unparalleled access at unrivaled costs, Ohio is America’s Top State for Business in 2026.
It is the pinnacle of a long climb for the Buckeye State, once considered the buckle of the Rust Belt. Ohio finished 30th in the inaugural CNBC study in 2007. Today, it is a magnet for growth, capital and innovation, truly living up to its slogan, “The Heart of it All.”
“We’ve been strategically focused on making Ohio literally the go-to state for business,” said Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, in his State of the State address in March.
The efforts have paid off. Ohio broke into the top five in CNBC’s rankings for the first time last year. This year, the 20th year of our annual study, the competitive environment plays to the state’s biggest strengths.
