Report Shows Maine Struggling as One of the Worst States for Business

Happy New Year to everyone in Maine. I wish you all the best, especially those running their own businesses, because you’re going to need it.

Now, I don’t mean any ill will toward business owners. In fact, I think it’s wonderful and fully support anyone who takes that leap. Unfortunately, the state of Maine doesn’t seem to be holding up its end of the bargain.

Maine is One of the Worst States for Business, According to Report

A report from the financial experts at CNBC shows that Maine is one of the worst states in the country for business. To say the least, that’s not great.

CNBC ranked every state based on 135 metrics across multiple categories, including Economy, Infrastructure, Workforce, Cost of Doing Business, Business Friendliness, Quality of Life, and Technology & Innovation. After averaging all category scores, Maine finished a disappointing 43rd in the nation, placing it firmly among the worst states for business.

The category rankings tell an even more troubling story. The Pine Tree State performed poorly across several key areas, including a dead-last ranking in Infrastructure, 45th in Business Friendliness, 38th in Workforce, and 33rd in Technology & Innovation. These results are eye-opening, especially for those who may not fully understand the many challenges Maine’s business owners face on a daily basis.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however. Maine once again scored very high in Quality of Life, finishing second in the nation behind our northern New England neighbor, Vermont.

While it’s great to live in a state with such a high quality of life, that doesn’t change the fact that we are failing our hardworking business owners. Hopefully, positive change is on the horizon before the problem grows even worse.

What is the Best State for Business?

According to CNBC’s report, North Carolina ranks as the best state for business, followed closely by Texas.

READ MORE: Maine Schools Ranked Among the Best by the Wall Street Journal

As for the worst state, that distinction went to Alaska—which probably makes sense from a geographical standpoint. It’s hard to imagine the cost of running a business in a place like Nome. That has to be unbelievably brutal.

You can find the full list here.