 Contact:Adam Bruns, Editor in Chief (770) 325-3491 adam.bruns@siteselection.com 6625 The Corners Parkway, Suite 200 Press Release Texas Claims Top State Business Climate for 2026
The findings are based on an index that includes a survey of corporate real estate executives and site selectors; criteria derived from corporate facility investment data in the Conway Projects Database; and a number of external sources touching on such business climate factors as taxation, infrastructure, tech employment and startup ecosystems. The most pronounced year-over-year upward movers in the top 25 were Washington moving from No. 19 to No. 7 and California surging from No. 15 to No. 4, based in part on strong numbers in tech employment, infrastructure investment and the presence of Inc. 5000 firms. New York hopped up to No. 8 from No. 12, followed closely by No. 9 Tennessee, which move up from No. 13 last year. The executive survey portion of this year’s rankings found Texas No. 1, followed by North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. (See charts below and online.) Asked which criteria matter most to site selection, corporate and site consultant respondents stated that availability, cost and reliability of utilities was tied for No. 1 with workforce skills/talent pool. Next came ease of permitting and regulatory procedures; land/building prices and supply; and transportation infrastructure. Notably, market proximity was No. 6 on the list this year after not making the top 10 last year — potentially reflecting tariff-induced location decision-making. The story features an extended site selection case study about one Canadian company’s investment in Fort Worth that embodies not only the competitive advantages of the state, but its leading role in one of the most pressing issues of our time: the need for electrical power driven by a powerful upsurge in industrial demand. The company “has made the jump into Texas,” writes Editor in Chief Adam Bruns. “If their experience is like that of so many other companies in the state, they won’t be jumping out anytime soon.”
Ohio River Corridor, Ports & FTZs, Opportunity Zones, Incentives, FDI in America & More The November 2026 issue also includes coverage of ports and free trade zones, including expert insights on tariffs and U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones and coverage of international ports (many of them affiliated with special economic zones) from the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) produced by World Bank in collaboration with the Global Intelligence & Analytics division of S&P Global Market Intelligence. Among other features in the issue, Timothy Bartik, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, and colleague Katie Bolter report on the benefits of combining incentives and workforce development in Chattanooga. Analysis led by the Brookings Institution’s Tracy Hadden Loh looks at the impacts of Opportunity Zones and how to enhance them. David Smitherman weighs in on business retention and expansion. And an expert from Gresham Smith examines cultural intelligence and cross-cultural collaboration practices that enhance the experience of FDI projects in the United States. Area reports include 10 state and area spotlights, three of which feature exclusive conversations with governors; the Greater Phoenix Intelligence Report; and coverage of emerging interstate highway corridors. Site Selection Investment Profiles in the issue include Portugal; San Bernardino, California; and Pflugerville, Texas. Other topics explored in the 232-page November issue include nuclear energy, aerospace and defense, data centers, rail and inland ports, global automotive and medical devices. Additional international coverage encompasses exclusive insights on India’s semiconductor sector from Tractus; expert thoughts on what investors get wrong about the Caribbean; and the defense sector in Germany.
Site Selection magazine, the leading publication covering global corporate real estate strategy and economic development, is in its 73rd year of publication, and goes to a qualified circulation of more than 41,000* corporate end users, in addition to publishing all of its material at www.siteselection.com. Global corporate expansion experts Conway Data Inc. — publisher of Site Selection, state economic development guides under its Custom Content Publishing Division, and the Site Selection Investor Watch, Project Bulletin and Snapshot newsletters, has been a trusted source of business intelligence to corporations, government economic development and investment promotion around the world since 1954. Conway Data also manages the Atlanta-based Industrial Asset Management Council, a professional association of corporate real estate executives, economic developers and commercial real estate service providers. TOP 10 STATE BUSINESS CLIMATES 2026 (2025 rank in parentheses)
EXECUTIVE SURVEY BUSINESS CLIMATE RANKINGS 2026 (2025 rank in parentheses)
SITE SELECTORS’ TOP LOCATION CRITERIA FOR 2026 (2025 rank in parentheses)
Source: Site Selection survey of corporate site selectors, September 2026 Top 10 Metros, Ohio River Corridor
Source: Conway Projects Database, March 2025 – August 2026 |
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