PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranks No. 45 among all states in CNBC’s “America’s Top States for Business 2022” rankings released Wednesday.
The Ocean State was ranked lowest among New England states this year. Rhode Island’s showing, however, is a slight improvement from recent years. The state ranked last in the nation in CNBC’s 2019 rankings and 46th in the 2021 list. No rankings were released in 2020.
For the 2022 report, states were evaluated on 88 metrics in 10 categories: Cost of doing business; infrastructure; life, health and inclusion; workforce; economy; business friendliness; access to capital; technology and innovation; education; and cost of living.
Rhode Island received its lowest grades, 2 “F” grades, for infrastructure and cost of living.
The state also received a “D-” for both its economy and cost of doing business, “D+” for both its workforce and technology and innovation, “D” for business friendliness and “C-“ for both its access to capital and life health and inclusion. Rhode Island’s highest grade was “C+” for education.
New England states generally fared poorly in the rankings, with none cracking the top 10 for 2022.
Massachusetts ranked highest of all states in the region at 24, followed by Vermont at 31, New Hampshire at 35, Connecticut at 39, Maine at 43 and then Rhode Island.
North Carolina ranked No. 1 overall this year, followed by Washington and Virginia. Mississippi ranked lowest among all states, followed by Alaska.
