Economic innovator: Commonwealth is No. 2 state for business in the U.S.

Virginia is almost all about business.

According to CNBC, Virginia is No. 2 in America’s Top States for Business.

The Commonwealth scored 1,527 out of 2,500 points in an exclusive study announced on CNBC on July 11, 2023. States were ranked in 10 broad categories, including cost of doing business, workforce, life, health and inclusion, economy and infrastructure. Virginia ranked in the top 10 for Education, Access to Capital, Business Friendliness, Workforce and Infrastructure, according to the study.

Since 2017, the Commonwealth has been a consistent contender in the study’s results and ranked No. 2. As a five-time winner as America’s top education system, Virginia is the study’s most decorated state. The only area of business where Virginia falls short is when it comes to cost of doing business.

Here is how Virginia scored in each category:

Rank	Category	Score
2	OVERALL	1527
34	Cost of Doing Business	120
7	Workforce	252
16	Life, Health & Inclusion	217
13	Economy	235
10	Infrastructure	231
15	Technology & Innovation	172
1	Education	94
6	Business Friendliness	135
4	Access to Capital	43
25	Cost of Living	28