North Carolina ranks No. 2 state for business, a drop from last year

The state ranked No. 1 in 2022 and 2023. This year, Virginia took the No. 1 spot, followed by North Carolina, Texas, Georgia and Florida.

2024 is the fifth year in a row that CNBC has named North Carolina in the top three states for business, according to a news release from the Office of Gov. Roy Cooper.

“Investing in our people makes our continued success possible,” said Cooper. “Thanks to our highly-skilled workforce built by our strong public schools and thriving economy with major investments from companies across all sectors, North Carolina continues to be a top destination for business.”

The annual CNBC study compares 128 metrics in 10 categories of competitiveness.

Major companies in North Carolina, including Apple, Toyota, Wolfspeed, FUJIFILM Diosynth and Boom Supersonic contributed to the state’s high ranking, according to the governor.

The lowest-ranking states were Hawaii, Mississippi, Alaska, Louisiana and Montana.