Area Development has named Georgia the No. 1 state for doing business in 2026 for the 13th year in a row. Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Ohio complete the top five, while South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Louisiana, and Michigan round out the top 10.
The rankings highlight where corporate, industrial, and commercial clients may find favorable conditions for new facilities and expansion. The survey places particular emphasis on factors that directly affect project delivery: site availability, utility capacity, infrastructure, permitting, workforce, and speed to market.
States were ranked by the number of consultant mentions and weighted by each factor’s importance in Area Development’s site-selection surveys.
The rankings signal where project conditions may support faster, more predictable development. Georgia and South Carolina stand out for responsive government and efficient project execution, while Texas offers strong industrial-site availability, energy capacity, and logistics infrastructure—key considerations for manufacturing, distribution, and large-scale commercial work. Talent advantages are spread across Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, supporting a range of project types and growing markets.
This research makes it clear that early coordination is becoming increasingly essential. Site due diligence, utility planning, permitting strategy and close collaboration with engineers, contractors and local authorities can determine whether a project moves quickly from concept to construction, says Area Development.
Area Development serves professionals involved in corporate site selection, facility planning, and economic development, including executives, consultants, and decisionmakers on major investments.
