Deregulation

Ohio Cut Red Tape. Now Its Business Sector Is Thriving.

America's most business-friendly states are proof that permitting reform works. Still, they have a bad habit of handing out tax breaks to favored industries.

Tosin Akintola | 7.14.2026 1:55 PM

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(Illustration: BrandPacks/Envato)

If you're an entrepreneur, you might want to consider relocating to the Rust Belt. 

CNBC recently released its 20th annual America's Top States for Business rankings, which rated Ohio as the most business-friendly state in the country. North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and Minnesota rounded out the top five. 

CNBC scores states on seven categories—infrastructure, economy, workforce, cost of doing business, tech and innovation, quality of life, and business friendliness—that businesses prioritize when deciding where to plant their flag. The scores are then weighted by how frequently states use those categories as selling points. With a nationwide focus on energy, water access, and the return of onshore manufacturing, CNBC chose infrastructure as its top-weighted category, factoring in grid reliability, energy capacity, and ease of permitting for the first time in its rankings.

It should come as no surprise that Ohio and other states that eschew red tape are near or at the top of the rankings. Since 2012, lawmakers in the Buckeye State have made it a priority to attract new business by easing regulations. Last year, Ohio passed House Bill 15 to reform........

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