Virginia moves up on Forbes ‘Best States for Business’ list

Published November 28, 2018 by Veronica Garabelli

Virginia has another reason to smile after landing half of Amazon’s second headquarters.

The commonwealth has moved up to No. 4 on Forbes’ latest Best States for Business list. Virginia ranked behind Texas (No. 3); Utah (No. 2) and North Carolina, which earned the top spot.

Virginia has been making a steady climb on the list since slipping to No. 7 in 2015. It has taken the top spot five times since the list’s inception in 2006.

“Virginia economic development officials are still basking in the glow of their Amazon win,” Forbes said about the Old Dominion. The commonwealth ranked No. 1 this year for quality of life and regulatory environment.

This year’s list looked at 41 metrics across six main categories: business costs, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. North Carolina ranked in the top 12 in all six categories.