Connecticut climbed five places in CNBC’s annual America’s Top States for Business rankings, finishing 23rd in the nation in 2026 after placing 28th last year, according to the business news network’s latest competitiveness study.
The improvement comes as CNBC overhauled portions of its methodology, giving greater weight to infrastructure this year as companies increasingly prioritize access to transportation networks, utilities, energy, water resources and faster permitting when choosing where to locate or expand. CNBC said infrastructure replaced the economy as its highest-weighted category for 2026.
Connecticut’s strongest rankings came in education, where it placed fourth nationally, and quality of life, where it ranked fifth.
The state also performed relatively well in technology and innovation (19th), business friendliness (21st), access to capital (23rd) and workforce (25th).
Connecticut’s biggest weaknesses remained affordability-related measures. It ranked 40th for cost of doing business and 44th for cost of living. The state also placed 34th for its economy and 29th for infrastructure.
CNBC’s study evaluated all 50 states using 138 metrics across 10 categories that the network says companies consider when making site-selection decisions. States could earn up to 2,500 points, with category weights adjusted annually to reflect changing business priorities.
Ohio claimed the No. 1 overall ranking for the first time, buoyed by the nation’s top-rated infrastructure and lowest cost of doing business, according to CNBC. North Carolina, last year’s top-ranked state, finished second, followed by Virginia, Texas and Minnesota.
Among New England states, Massachusetts ranked highest at No. 15, followed by Connecticut at No. 23. New Hampshire placed 34th, Maine 35th, Vermont 40th and Rhode Island 48th.
