Virginia Climbs to No. 3 in CNBC Ranking as Federal Job Cuts Still Weigh
Updated
Updated · ARLnow · Jul 9
Virginia Climbs to No. 3 in CNBC Ranking as Federal Job Cuts Still Weigh
3 articles · Updated · ARLnow · Jul 9
Summary
Virginia rose to No. 3 in CNBC’s 2026 Best States for Business ranking, up from No. 4 a year after falling from its 2024 top spot.
138 metrics across 10 categories lifted the state on infrastructure, education and innovation, even as its economy ranked just 23rd and cost of doing business 26th.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger tied the gain to worker and infrastructure investments, saying Virginia has attracted more than $5 billion in business investment and created over 3,000 jobs since January.
Federal workforce cuts centered in Arlington and Northern Virginia still shadow the ranking, which arrived just after lawmakers preserved a key data-center tax break but added an electricity tax projected to raise $1.2 billion over two years.
Ohio took CNBC’s top spot for the first time, ahead of North Carolina, with Texas and Minnesota completing the top five.