Report: Florida 17th in 2025 Top States for Business

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(The Center Square) – Corporate site selection and economic development magazine Area Development ranks Florida a solid destination in the 2025 Top States for Business.

Georgia is first for the 12th consecutive year.

Florida, No. 3 in the CNBC best states for business ratings, ironically enough has never landed in the top five in 18 years of the rankings. Deep South states have perennially dominated. South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina and Ohio rounded out the top five this time; previous top fives have been dotted by Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana.

“Speed, workforce alignment, and energy infrastructure now define the best states for doing business – not just incentives or tax breaks,” the report says.

The methodology this year changed to split energy infrastructure into “energy availability” and “energy cost.” The report says this best analyzes the “unique challenges posed by the modern grid.”

“We also continue to elevate the importance of water access, permitting speed, and site readiness – all increasingly make-or-break factors in large capital investment decisions,” Area Development said. “The states that perform well aren’t just ‘pro business.’ They’re aligned.”

Across 15 categories judged, Florida did snag top 10 in them three times: fourth in corporate tax structure; eighth in overall cost of doing business; and ninth in water availability.

The other metrics were access to qualified labor; availability of sites; business incentives programs; climate risk and resilience; cooperative local and state government; energy availability; favorable property tax; favorable regulatory framework; logistics and infrastructure; site readiness programs; and workforce training programs.

In the CNBC rankings, Florida was behind North Carolina and Texas overall. Across 10 metrics, Florida was first in economy, second in workforce and third in access to capital. Somewhat akin to Area Development rankings, infrastructure was No. 16, cost of doing business No. 22 and business friendliness was No. 23.