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- The Magnolia State has attracted tens of billions of dollars in announced investments this year.
Area Development, a national magazine specializing in economic development, has ranked Mississippi 12th in the nation overall for the Top States for Doing Business in 2026.
Mississippi was previously ranked 11th in the nation last year.
Georgia and Texas took the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.
The states were ranked based on four categories:
- Workforce, Talent and Innovation
- Government Responsiveness and Project Execution
- Sites, Utilities and Infrastructure
- Cost, Tax and Long-Term Operating Risk
Each category was graded based on several subcategories.
In the Workforce, Talent, and Innovation category, Mississippi was rated No. 2 in the nation for Labor Cost Competitiveness. Alabama took the top spot in this category.
As for the Government Responsiveness and Project Execution category, Mississippi was ranked No. 8 in Overall Speed to Market, No. 6 in Business Incentives Programs, No. 9 in Permitting and Development Predictability, and No. 6 in Regulatory Environment.
In the Cost, Tax and Long-Term Operating Risk category, Mississippi ranked No. 7 in Overall Cost of Doing Business and No. 9 in Energy Costs.
Governor Tate Reeves (R) touted the ranking in a Facebook post, saying “Mississippi has once again been named one of the top states in America for doing business. Conservative policies work.”
Mississippi has attracted tens of billions of dollars in announced investments this year, including more than $20 billion from xAI’s planned Southaven data center and another $12 billion in planned Amazon expansions.
Mississippi’s latest rankings in Area Development also comes after Hitachi Energy’s announced $528 million investment in Copiah County this month, which the company described as its largest investment to date.
