Florida Named Best State to Start a Business in America

The Republican Governors Association shared an announcement this week highlighting that GOP Governors make up nine of the 10 best states to start a business in America for 2026, with Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis at No. 1.

"New businesses mean job growth, competitive wages, and a stronger economy," the Republican Governors Association shared on social media. "Through conservative leadership, it’s no wonder that 9 of the top 10 states to start a business are led by Republican governors!"

Conducted by WalletHub.com, Florida's total score of 56.30 to start a business ranked ahead of Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho, Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, and California. More specifically, Florida ranked second for business environment, twelfth for access to resources, and twenty-seventh for business costs to earn the top spot.

Utah received a total score of 55.24, followed by Texas (54.07), Oklahoma (53.22), Idaho (52.49), Mississippi (52.43), Georgia (52.32), Indiana (52.14), Nevada (51.83), and California (51.11).

Moreover, Texas ranked No. 1 for business environment, with California first for access to resources, and Mississippi in the top spot for business costs.

A specific breakdown of the states with their governors and party affiliation is below:

1. Florida - Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)
2. Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott (R)
3. Utah - Gov. Spencer Cox (R)
4. Oklahoma - Gov. Kevin Stitt (R)
5. Idaho - Gov. Brad Little (R)
6. Mississippi - Gov. Tate Reeves (R)
7. Georgia - Gov. Brian Kemp (R)
8. Indiana - Gov. Mike Braun (R)
9. Nevada - Gov. Joe Lombardo (R)
10. California - Gov. Gavin Newsom (R)

While Republican-led states dominated the top 10, Democratic ones made up a majority of the bottom.

Rhode Island ranked as the worst state to start a business, with a total score of 33.79, followed by Maryland (34.58), Hawaii (34.80), Connecticut (35.45), New Jersey (35.81), Pennsylvania (36.67), West Virginia (37.61), Alaska (37.77), New Hampshire (38.13), New York (39.25).

Moreover, Rhode Island ranked 50th for business environment, with West Virginia worst for access to resources, and New Jersey dead last for business costs.

A specific breakdown of those states with their governors and party affiliation is below:

1. Rhode Island - Gov. Dan McKee (D)
2. Maryland - Gov. Wes Moore (D)
3. Hawaii - Gov. Josh Green (D)
4. Connecticut - Gov. Ned Lamont (D)
5. New Jersey - Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D)
6. Pennsylvania - Gov. Josh Shapiro (D)
7. West Virginia - Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R)
8. Alaska - Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R)
9. New Hampshire - Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R)
10. New York - Gov. Kathy Hochul (D)