Ohio ranks higher on top states for business list

Ohio landed its highest-ever ranking on CNBC’s 2018 Top States for Business List, lauded for its infrastructure but hurt by its quality-of-life assessment.

The state ranked 15th, just behind Nebraska and just ahead of Indiana on the cable business channel’s eighth annual list that was issued Tuesday.

States were ranked on 10 criteria, including workforce, infrastructure, cost of doing business, cost of living and economy.

Ohio scored best on infrastructure (No. 4).

Its worst scores came in quality of life (35) and business friendliness, defined as a state’s legal and regulatory climate (37). It ranked middle of the pack for workforce (25) and economy (24).

Texas was named the top state for business, taking the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2012, although it has ranked second in several other years.

Washington and Utah rounded out the top three.

Ohio increased its overall ranking by one notch from 2017, when it ranked 16th.

Its previous rankings had ranged from 18 in 2014 to 28 in 2013.