Ohio Breaks Into Top 5 in CNBC’s “Top States for Business” — Fueled by tech and innovation surge
Image: JobsOhio
In CNBC’s newly released 2025 “Top States for Business” rankings, Ohio climbs to #5 overall—its highest placement ever in the annual index. The Buckeye State surged from #7 in 2024 and has jumped 14 spots since 2022, propelled by a strategic focus on infrastructure, cost competitiveness, and a rapidly expanding tech and innovation ecosystem.
Key Rankings for Ohio in 2025
#6 in Technology & Innovation (up from #12 last year)
#1 in Infrastructure
#2 in Cost of Doing Business
Workforce score improved by 7 spots
#7 in Access to Capital
#7 in Cost of Living
What’s driving Ohio’s innovation momentum?
Silicon Heartland Growth: Intel’s multi-billion-dollar semiconductor project in Central Ohio continues to anchor one of the nation’s fastest-growing tech corridors. Since 2019, total fixed-capital investment across the state has surpassed $87 billion.
AI and Cloud Infrastructure Boom: Ohio is now home to 1,500+ data center facilities, a fourfold increase since 2011. Meta’s recent announcement of an $800M AI-optimized data center in Northwest Ohio underscores the state’s emergence as a trusted AI infrastructure hub.
STEM Education Pipeline: With three Innovation Districts and more than 200 higher education institutions—including seven R1 research universities—Ohio is expected to boost annual STEM degree output by 47,500 graduates under the Ohio Discovery Corridor initiative.
Startup Support + Enterprise Scale: From Columbus and Cleveland to Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio’s regional innovation networks and corporate-university partnerships are helping scale emerging tech companies in AI, advanced manufacturing, HealthTech, aerospace, and beyond.
Why it matters for tech companies
Ohio’s low cost of doing business, including no corporate income tax and a higher CAT exemption, makes it easier for startups to extend runway and enterprises to scale R&D.
The #1 infrastructure ranking ensures connectivity, mobility, and reliability for hardware-heavy sectors like chips, EVs, aerospace, and CleanTech.
A growing workforce and programs like TechCred are helping companies find and train talent faster—critical in today’s competitive market for AI, data science, cybersecurity, and automation skills.
Recent marquee wins
Amgen: $900M biopharma expansion in Franklin County
Kimberly-Clark: $800M advanced manufacturing site in Trumbull County
Meta: $800M AI-ready data center in Northwest Ohio
Joby Aviation, AWS, Sierra Nevada, and Medpace also continue to expand operations across the state
What Ohio leaders are saying
“From construction-ready sites and reliable energy to the ingenuity and hard work of our people, Ohio provides companies with unmatched confidence in our investment environment when they are looking to grow,” said Governor Mike DeWine.
“Ohio continues to lead the economic renaissance in the American Midwest and when you combine ready-to-build sites, the nation’s top infrastructure, leading cost advantages, and a skilled talent pipeline that’s widening every day, it’s easy to see why vital industries are converging in Ohio to build the future," added JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef.
The bottom line
Ohio’s first-ever top 5 finish in CNBC’s rankings, including #1 in the Midwest, reflects a broader shift underway. The Buckeye State isn’t just attracting legacy industries, it’s becoming a national leader in next-generation tech, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and innovation-driven growth.