Study Overview - CNBC is conducting its 19th annual study to determine America's Top States for Business [1] - The study uses a methodology crafted in 2007, evaluating states based on 10 categories of competitiveness [2] - The weighting of these categories changes yearly based on what states emphasize in their marketing [2] Key Categories and Factors - Economy is the top-weighted category this year, reflecting economic anxiety and state finances [2][3] - Infrastructure is a significant factor, including sites, roads, bridges, and computing power [3][4] - Workforce remains a crucial consideration due to worker shortages [4] - Cost of doing business encompasses taxes, wages, and incentives [4] - Business friendliness includes how states support emerging industries like artificial intelligence [5] - Quality of life, technology and innovation, education, access to capital, and cost of living are also considered [5] Risks and Challenges - The study factors in risks from tariffs and federal budget cuts [3] - The reduction in federal research money impacts technology and innovation rankings [5] - High insurance costs are a factor affecting the cost of living [5] Upcoming Reveal - The top state for business will be revealed tomorrow morning on Worldwide Exchange and Squawkbox [6][7] - State rankings will be available at topstates.cnbc.com [7][8]

Welcome back. We are rolling out our list of top states for business tomorrow. Scott Con is here with some clues about what to expect in a power boat.Hi, Scott. I am. And maybe that's a clue or maybe not.Uh reminder, Kelly, about uh how we do this. And we've been doing it pretty much the same way since 2007. We start with 10 categories of competitiveness.Those are constant from year to year. things like economy, workforce, cost of doing business, uh infrastructure, things like that. But we rewe those catego ...

Meanwhile, CNBC is rolling out its list of top states for business tomorrow. Our Scott Con joins us with some clues about what to expect. We have made it here, Carl. We've made it to America's top state for business.It is the result of a study that we do every year. We've done it every year since 2007. But a reminder for those of you just joining us how this works.We start out with 10 categories of competitiveness. This is something that has been consistent since this study began in 2007. But because the th ...