TEXAS RANKED NO. 2 ON FORBES' 2017 "BEST STATES FOR BUSINESS" LIST

Texas ranks No. 1 in the nation for economic climate and No. 2 on Forbes’ 2017 “Best States for Business” list, thanks to strong employment and gross product growth over the past 5 years.

Texas moved up two spots from last year's ranking, achieving the state’s best showing since 2006. Forbes also reported on the Lone Star State's $1.6 trillion economy, which is the second largest in the U.S. and home to 100 of the 1,000 largest public and private companies in the nation, including giants like AT&T, ExxonMobil and Dell. Forbes notes that startup activity in the Lone Star State is also best in the nation among larger states, per the Kauffman Foundation.

Forbes’ “Best States for Business” ranking assesses U.S. states across six categories, including business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. North Carolina, Utah, Nebraska and Virginia made up the remaining spots in the top five.

Source: Forbes