We know Bob McDonnell will relish getting a leg-up on his friend (and Republican Governors Association colleague) Rick Perry of Texas on this one: CNBC has named Virginia the country’s “Top State for business” in 2011.
Virginia and the Lone Star state have swapped No. 1 and No. 2 rankings for the past five years, with the commonwealth edging out Texas in the 2011 rankings released Tuesday.
“Every Virginian deserves a quality job in the community that they call home,” said McDonnell. “Our focus, from day one of this administration, has been to put in place the policies that will help private sector businesses create those jobs in the commonwealth and get our economy back on track. We’ve done that by keeping taxes low, getting government spending under control, having a strong right to work law, and making smart investments in transportation, economic development and higher education.”
States were scored on 43 different measures in the rankings. According to the CNBC report, Virginia scored well in the cost of doing business category, thanks to the state’s relatively low tax burden, and education, because of a push to reduce classroom sizes starting in 2009.
The state racked up 1,660 points out of a possible 2,500 – the highest total since CNBC started tracking the states in 2007. Maryland, meanwhile, was ranked 29th, down two slots from 27th in 2010.
