Ohio Climbs to No. 5, Boosts Site Readiness and Talent Appeal
Ohio Climbs to No. 5 on Area Development’s Top States for Doing Business
The Buckeye State moved up again on Sept. 24, 2025. Site readiness, water, labor and incentives pushed Ohio into the Top 5.
What happened
On Sept. 24, 2025 JobsOhio announced Ohio secured the No. 5 spot in Area Development Magazine’s Top States for Doing Business. This is the state’s second Top 5 ranking in three years. Ohio rose from No. 6 in 2024 and continues a climb from No. 8 in 2022 and No. 9 in 2021.
The survey is Area Development’s annual benchmark. Corporate site selectors and economic development consultants weigh recent project work and overall business climate. Ohio scored highly across dozens of location factors. Highlights include No. 2 Climate Risk and Resilience, No. 3 Site Readiness, No. 4 Site Availability, No. 4 Qualified Labor, No. 4 Water Availability and No. 5 Business Incentive Programs.
Why it matters
Rankings like this shape real decisions. Companies use them when choosing where to build factories, data centers and distribution hubs. A No. 3 in Site Readiness signals faster permits and more shovel-ready land. A No. 4 in Qualified Labor matters to manufacturers and tech firms. Ohio’s in-migration of nearly 100,000 people in prime working years since 2019 and a projection to add 540,000 STEM and technical workers by 2032 are concrete selling points.
State programs also showed up in the rankings. Area Development noted JobsOhio’s business incentives. The JobsOhio Relocation Incentive and other Talent Acquisition Services have helped client companies hire more than 21,000 employees since 2017. Energy and tax metrics landed in the Top 10 as well: energy availability No. 6, corporate tax No. 7, cost of energy No. 8, and workforce training No. 9.
“Ohio offers an extraordinary combination of resources, talent, and business climate,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef.
Outlook
Expect the state to use the ranking in marketing and deal pitches. JobsOhio will press its site inventory, incentives and training programs to lure projects in semiconductors, aerospace and defense, life sciences, artificial intelligence and energy. The Area Development results appear in the magazine’s Q3 2025 issue. For companies weighing locations, Ohio’s stronger site, water and labor scores make it harder to ignore.
Source: Company press release — link
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