Ohio ranked No. 1 state in nation for business, report says

OHIO — Ohio is ranked as the best state in the country for business.

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CNBC released its annual report on Thursday.

It was ranked 30^th back in 2007 when CNBC released its inaugural study, according to the website.

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In the study, Ohio ranks No. 1 in infrastructure. It was the study’s top-weight category.

They stated “as companies pursue strategic locations close to transport hubs, top utilities, access to fresh water, and abundant energy to power things like advanced manufacturing and data centers. And they want it all without red tape. For the first time in 2026, we are factoring ease of permitting into our rankings.”

The study also referred to the number of data centers in Ohio. As previously reported, many cities across the region have tried ban them from development. The Dayton City Commission imposed a six-month moratorium.

Governor Mike DeWine said in a social post that Ohio did not get to this point overnight.

“Many people in Ohio worked hard for this,” he said. “For my administration’s part, I promised to ‘plant the seeds’ of long-term investments to positively impact Ohio for years to come.”

Senator Jon Husted also praised the news on social media.

“We’ve cut taxes, eliminated three business taxes, and invested in infrastructure and our workforce. We also made Ohio the easiest and lowest-cost state to do business.”

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