Ohio has claimed the No. 1 spot in CNBC’s 2026 “America’s Top States for Business” rankings, marking the state’s first-ever finish at the top of the list. The distinction caps a long climb for a state once described as the “buckle of the Rust Belt” — Ohio finished 30th when CNBC’s study began in 2007 and has steadily risen since, breaking into the top five for the first time last year.
Governor Mike DeWine joined CNBC’s Scott Cohn in Columbus for the announcement. State leaders say the No. 1 finish reflects years of investment aimed at attracting companies and expanding job opportunities, with CNBC crediting the ranking to low business costs, strong infrastructure, broad market access, abundant electrical power, and a large inventory of shovel-ready development sites. The rankings also pointed to Ohio’s housing costs as among the most affordable in the country compared with other major business hubs.
DeWine noted that Ohio ranked 34th in CNBC’s original 2010 study, before climbing to 15th in 2022, 12th in 2023, 7th in 2024, and 5th in 2025 en route to this year’s top finish. The administration points to over a billion dollars invested since 2021 in cleaning up contaminated industrial sites and demolishing deteriorating buildings to prepare them for redevelopment as part of the long-term strategy behind the ranking.
For Ohio communities, the designation carries practical stakes: state rankings like this one often factor into corporate site-selection decisions, influencing where companies choose to expand or relocate — decisions that translate directly into local jobs, tax revenue, and development activity in cities across the state.