Texas Ranks No. 1 in Chief Executive magazine’s “Best & Worst States for Business 2014” Survey

California ranked last due to high taxation and a genuinely “unfriendly attitude” toward business.

Missouri increased the most, rising to 22nd from 31st in 2013. In addition, Iowa, Nebraska, Delaware and Kentucky also advanced, jumping four points each. For the complete rankings, click here.

State governments use the survey results to help determine where they need to make improvements. “State and regional governments follow our annual ranking very closely,” said Marshall Cooper, CEO of Chief Executive Group and ChiefExecutive.net, who last week met with Mayor William A. Bell Sr. of Birmingham, Ala. in Chief Executive’s Greenwich, Conn. offices. “In past years, we’ve hosted governors and other state officials from Delaware, Rhode Island and Louisiana, among others.”

More than 500 CEOs responded to questions about their home state’s tax and regulatory regime, the quality of the workforce and the quality of the living environment.

In addition to a ranking of all 50 states, the survey includes:

• The 10 Best States
• How CEOs grade the states
• The Biggest Gains Since 2010
• The Biggest Losses Since 2010
• The best states for startups
• The best states for biotech firms
• A crowdfunding case study from the state of Michigan
• A look at how the automotive industry is redrawing its map
• Comments from CEO respondents
• Individual listings feature each state’s GDP, % growth vs. the national average, the unemployment rate, debt per resident, tax rates and more.

To order extra copies of the May/June issue of Chief Executive magazine with the “Best & Worst States for Business 2014,” click here.

Additional reading:

Hear what governors had to say about their state’s ranking last year