No. 2Florida
The housing renaissance may have boosted Florida’s economy more than that of any other state. A new tax exemption for machinery and equipment purchases provided more help.
Governor: Rick Scott (Republican)
Tax Foundation rank: 5
ALEC-Laffer Economic Outlook rank: 9
Kauffman Foundation Index of Entrepreneurial Activity (2012) rank: 14
Total Nonfarm Employment Percentage Growth (2013): 2
Economic-development contact: Enterprise Florida Inc., 407/956-5600, www.enterpriseflorida.com; Gray Swoope, President & CEO, Florida Secretary of Commerce