Report: Georgia ranks top state for business 10 years in a row

ATLANTA - Georgia was ranked the number one state to do business for the tenth year in a row, according to Area Development.

Gov. Brian Kemp called the state a business-friendly environment during a press conference on Tuesday.

"For the 10th consecutive year, Area Development Magazine has ranked Georgia the number one state for business for a decade now," Kemp said. 

He invited constitutional officers, state agency leaders, state legislators, state and local economic developers, and other economic stakeholders to the Governor's Mansion to share the news.

The governor says tax incentives, infrastructure and the technical college of Georgia’s Quick-Start job-training program help attract big companies to the state. "Over 343,650 new jobs have come to Georgia," the governor said. 

Metro Atlanta is already home to Fortune 500 corporations like The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and UPS.

"It shows you that industry is the believing that Atlanta is a place to do business and a good place to do business," said Tom Smith, finance professor and economist at Emory University's Goizueta Business School. "You’ve got two of the best universities in the country are located within 10 miles of each other in Emory and Georgia Tech." 

Smith says other schools like Morehouse, Spelman, Agnes Scott and Georgia State also help produce a well-educated workforce. And he says the state’s lower business and property taxes make the state more appealing to major corporations. 

"If you’re going to start a business then you have to have people who are going to work for your business and they need a place to live," Smith said. 

The rankings are based on scores in four categories. Georgia placed in the top 10 in each. 

Brian Kemp speaks to members of the media during his weekly press conference at the Georgia State Capitol on May 07, 2020, in Atlanta. (Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Many things are considered when ranking the states, including the amount and quality of workforce training programs, the overall cost of doing business, how competitive the market is and more. Georgia continuously comes out on top.

"Georgia’s business climate speaks directly to the importance we place on expanding economic opportunity for our residents," said Speaker of the House Jon Burns. "I appreciate Governor Brian Kemp’s commitment to working with the legislature to keep Georgia the envy of the nation. I also thank our Georgia Department of Economic Development and private-sector partners who work every day to recruit businesses from around the globe to Georgia."

Area Development is a magazine that covers "corporate site selection and relocation," according to its website. It was founded in 1965. Georgia has consistently ranked number one for business since 2013.