America’s Top States For Business 2026: Texas Is In The Top 5
CNBC recently scored all 50 states in 10 broad categories of competitiveness. They are identifying the factors companies look at and consider when making decisions on which state they are going to focus their economic development efforts to win jobs and business. The top states have been consistent since their first study in 2007; however, they re-weigh their categories annually to reflect market dynamics.
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In 2026, the biggest noted change has been infrastructure, which is their top weighted category as companies pursue strategic locations close to transport hubs. Texas’ extensive transportation network includes major ports, international airports, rail systems, and highway infrastructure that continue to make it one of the country’s leading logistics and trade hubs.
Benefits also include access to fresh water and abundant energy sources like manufacturing and data centers, all without the red tape.
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Amongst the other criteria in this ranking, here is where Texas ranked.
Infrastructure: 12
Economy: 2
Workforce: 1
Quality of Life: 49
Cost of business: 5
Technology & Innovation: 3
Business Friendliness: 23
Access to Capital: 2
Education: 32
Cost of Living: 30
The current population in Texas is 31,709,821, with a Q1 GDP growth OF 0.90%. There is currently no corporate tax rate in the state of Texas, nor is there a top individual income tax.
Major companies that are located in Texas include Tesla, Chevron, Caterpillar, Charles Schwab, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Fisher Investments, H-E-B, and SpaceX, just to scratch the surface; however, there are lots of major corporations that are located in Texas.
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While Texas continues to face challenges in other areas, its strong economy, abundant workforce, favorable tax structure, and continued corporate investment have helped keep the Lone Star State among America’s most competitive places to do business in 2026.
