CNBC’s annual rankings of the best states for business is out, and Utah comes in at #3 on the list behind Washington and Texas.
Utah’s #3 ranking is up from #8 in 2017. Utah held the top spot in 2016.
The CNBC rankings are based on several factors including workforce, infrastructure, cost of doing business, education and quality of life.
Utah’s individual rankings were mostly in the top half of all states, with the state’s economy ranked the highest at #4 overall. However, the state got a D+ grade for education, coming in at #34 nationwide.
Other individual rankings for Utah:
|
Category
|
Score
|
2018 Rank
|
2017 Rank
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workforce | 265 | 11 | 18 | B+ |
| Infrastructure | 246 | 10 | 9 | B+ |
| Cost of Doing Business | 198 | 23 | 24 (Tie) | B |
| Economy | 251 | 2 | 4 | A+ |
| Quality of Life | 206 | 12 | 20 | B |
| Technology & Innovation | 133 | 19 | 18 (Tie) | B- |
| Education | 87 | 34 | 34 (Tie) | D+ |
| Business Friendliness | 103 | 12 | 16 | B |
| Access to Capital | 64 | 18 | 18 (Tie) | B- |
| Cost of Living | 29 | 22 | 17 | C+ |
| Overall | 1582 | 3 | 8 | – |
