12. Florida

The economy is hot in the Sunshine State, but it’s no day at the beach for the state’s troubled schools.

George Kavallines | CNBC
Category
Score
2017 Rank
2016 Rank
Workforce 285 22 14
Infrastructure 217 7 10
Cost of Doing Business 175 30 (Tie) 32
Economy 262 2 4
Quality of Life 160 24 (Tie) 26
Technology & Innovation 109 28 17 (Tie)
Education 71 40 (Tie) 26
Business Friendliness 99 17 22
Access to Capital 93 4 14
Cost of Living 24 27 28
Overall 1495 12 10

Economic Profile

Governor: Rick Scott, Republican

Population: 20,612,439

GDP growth Q4 2016): 3.1 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2017): 4.3 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 5.5 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 0 percent

Gasoline tax: 36.79 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook (Moody's, S&P): Aa1, AAA stable

Major private employers: Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, NextEra Energy, Inc.

Economic profile sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute (excluding 18.40 cent/gallon federal tax), Moody's Investor Service, S&P Global Market Intelligence

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