Virginia Repeats as America’s Best State for Business

Since 2007, CNBC has compiled a study with a simple aim – to declare one American city as the country’s best for business.

This year, after a year with no study due to the pandemic, Virginia backed up a first-place nod in 2019 with another. Virginia has now taken home the title five times since that 2007 debut of the study, more than any other state, and it’s the first to earn back-to-back top spots.

Particularly in a world where labor shortages and educational challenges are halting progress, the state has shown a tremendous ability to acquire, grow and retain top talent. The state also features a bustling port, high-level education and a robust population of STEM professionals.

Though racial inequity and a lack of diversity have plagued the state, including a scandal involving Governor Ralph Northam, the governor appears to be working to ease that strain and bring more inclusion to Old Dominion.

The study ranks cities based on 10 categories, including the cost of doing business, infrastructure, life, health and inclusion, workforce, economy, business friendliness, access to capital, tech and innovation, education, and cost of living.

Northam cited many reasons for his state’s excellence in this year’s study, but chief among them might be its port.

“We’ve put a lot of investment, a lot of thought into our port,” he said. “It’s a tremendous asset for our economy. We invested close to $1.5 billion. We’re going to have the deepest and widest channels to allow these large ships coming from the Panama Canal, so it’s a great day for Virginia.”ja

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

mentorship
WAVIT’s Mentorship Program: Cyndie Nelson on Building Careers Through Guidance
July 19, 2025

The AV industry, like many others in tech, often thrives on innovation—but it’s mentorship that sustains it. Behind every successful professional is often a mentor who provided guidance, shared hard-earned lessons, and opened doors that might have otherwise stayed shut. Programs like WAVIT (Women in AV/IT) bring this spirit of mentorship into focus by intentionally…

Read More
mentorship
Empowering Innovation: Kim Porter’s Role in the WAVIT Mentorship Program
July 19, 2025

In an industry where innovation often hinges on experience, mentorship is the bridge that connects the wisdom of the past with the promise of the future. Engineering, especially in the mechanical domain, is traditionally seen as a discipline of precision, but its culture is just as vital as its calculations. That’s why programs like WAVIT’s…

Read More
mentorship
Passion, Power, and the Mentorship Paradigm Shift in Tech
July 19, 2025

In today’s rapidly evolving tech world, mentorship has emerged as more than a professional development tool—it’s a powerful human connection that fosters resilience, purpose, and authenticity. Particularly for women in engineering and STEM, mentorship isn’t just about career guidance; it’s a lifeline to navigating environments where their voices may still fight to be heard. While…

Read More
AV
Lessons in Leadership: Mitek’s Cyndie Nelson on the Power of Mentoring Women in AV Technology
July 19, 2025

Mentorship has long been considered a cornerstone of professional development, but in the fast-evolving world of AV technology and sales, its value has never been more evident. The unspoken nuances of tradecraft—those bits of wisdom not found in textbooks—are often only accessible through the lived experience of mentors. Particularly for women in traditionally male-dominated industries,…

Read More