New Jersey ranked No. 31 overall in CNBC’s 2026 America’s Top States for Business study, earning high marks for quality of life and education but finishing last in the nation for business friendliness.
The annual ranking scored all 50 states across 138 metrics in 10 categories, with a maximum possible score of 2,500 points. New Jersey earned 1,264 points, slipping one spot from its No. 30 ranking in 2025.
The state’s strongest showing came in education, where it ranked No. 2 nationally and received an A grade. New Jersey also ranked No. 3 for quality of life, earning an A-plus, and No. 13 for access to capital, earning a B-plus.
But those strengths were offset by weaker rankings in areas tied to costs, regulation and infrastructure. New Jersey ranked No. 50 for business friendliness, No. 41 for infrastructure, No. 39 for cost of living and No. 38 for cost of doing business. It…
