North Carolina unseated Virginia last year as America’s top state for business. This year, the Tar Heel state is at the top again, with Virginia right behind in second.
“To win top state for business, you gotta have the best workforce,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told CNBC. “And North Carolina has the most well-educated, dedicated, and diverse workforce in the country.”
CNBC, a business news channel, ranks states in 10 categories including workforce, infrastructure and education. There are a maximum of 2,500 points. North Carolina weighed in at 1,628 points, and Virginia had 1,527.
North Carolina ranked first in the workforce category and third for its economy, driving it to the top of the list.
Virginia took first place in education, and second overall. Macaulay Porter, spokeswoman for Governor Glenn Youngkin, said rankings only tell part of the story.
"Virginia needs to move forward as a leader in business and become more competitive and fund critical priorities," Porter said in a statement. "The Governor’s budget amendments addressed these issues head on with common sense tax relief for Virginia families and local businesses. Virginians need a budget that moves the Commonwealth forward and addresses these obstacles to growth so that Virginia can thrive.”
Recent economic wins for North Carolina include an expanded Bosch manufacturing facility in Lincolnton and a multi -million dollar turkey breeding facility in Goldsboro.
Apple also filed plans to build its first East Coast hub in the Research Triangle Park. That development will be 700,000 square feet and is expected to add at least 3,000 jobs to the state.
Virginia has ranked first in business a total of five times since CNBC launched the rankings in 2007. That’s more than any other state.
LEGO recently started building a carbon-neutral factory in Chesterfield County.
