Many business owners look at tax rates when considering which state to start their business in, but there are many other considerations that should be taken into account. Government incentives, worker productivity, available technology, and employee wages are just a sampling of the many factors that can be affected by your decision. The top state overall may surprise you… Washington!

Washington consistently places at the top of economic and business lists. The New State Economy Index ranks it second in the United States while the Small Business Survival Index ranks it fifth. The state also leads the nation in value added per production hour and offers very low taxes and doesn’t have its own income or capital gains taxes for persons or corporations!

Combine that with a highly productive manufacturing sector as well as a leading promoter of alternative energies and it’s easy to see how this state ranks among the best places in the United States to start a business!