Ohio takes best spot for business as North Carolina slips from No. 1 ranking

By: Clayton Henkel

Outlets: North Carolina Newsline

Published: July 10, 2026

Words: 504

Last Updated: 1 week, 5 days ago

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After enjoying the coveted title of “Top State for Business” in 2025, North Carolina slipped to the No. 2 position in CNBC’s 2026 “America’s Top States for Business” ranking.

The state has finished first or second in each of the past six years, and just missed out on repeating its top ranking this year to Ohio, which won by nine points.

The top-weighted category this year was infrastructure, a critical factor as new and established …

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