Wisconsin ranked as the 17th best state in the country in which to do business, according to Chief Executive magazine’s annual Best & Worst States for Business ranking.

Wisconsin’s ranking from Chief Executive improved four spots from 21st in 2025.

The top ranked states for 2026 are (in order from 1st to 5th): Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia.

The lowest ranked states are: (from 46th to 50th): Oregon, Washington, Illinois, New York and California.

In the Midwest, Wisconsin ranked higher than several states including: Illinois (48), Minnesota (43), Michigan (24) and Missouri (18).

States in the Midwest that ranked higher than Wisconsin include: Ohio (7), Indiana (9) and Iowa (15).

Chief Executive magazine’s rankings are based on several criteria including taxes, incentives, education, unemployment rate, population growth and a quality of life rating.

Here’s what Chief Executive magazine had to say about Wisconsin: “Manufacturing, tech and health care remain strong drivers in Wisconsin. Big announcements include Yaskawa America relocating to Franklin, Eli Lilly’s $4 billion investment and Microsoft investing an additional $4 billion. The state also continues to leverage workforce attraction and incentive programs. In FY25, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. awarded 259 grants to businesses and communities, totaling $41.2 million.”

Read more at the BizTimes.