State of the States 2025
January 3, 2025
Well, it’s been quite a year. And as far as state economic development policies and news go, it’s about to be quite another year.
Looking back and looking forward, among the themes to emerge across the 50 state legislatures are workforce housing, streamlining of permitting, child care, infrastructure and shovel-ready site development, tax reductions, career and technical education and more funds directed toward K-12 education and teacher pay.
In the following pages, you’ll find demographic, GDP and credit rating data insights, legislative and policy updates, agency information, governor quotes and, in some cases, “Project Watch” spotlights* that shed light on the economies, workforce and business climates of all 50 states. You’ll also find our “Rankings that Matter,” which include each state’s rank in the following economic development yardsticks: