Kansas falls to No. 25 on Best States for Business list

Emily Behlmann

Digital Editor- Wichita Business Journal

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Kansas is the 25th-best state for business, according to an annual ranking by Forbes.

That's down from the 17th spot in 2013 and the 13th spot in 2012.

Forbes says the state has "one of the best business incentive packages of programs in the country," and its regulatory environment ranks 12th nationwide. However, the state didn't fare as well in areas like business costs (31st nationwide) and growth prospects (39th nationwide).

The study also included factors like Kansas' $144 billion gross state product, its 1 percent job growth in 2014 and its net migration in 2013 of 7,500 people leaving the state.

The top five states on the 2014 list were Utah, North Dakota, North Carolina, Virginia and Colorado.

Forbes says it develops its rankings using 36 data points across six main areas: business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. Business costs, which include labor, energy and taxes, are weighted the most heavily.

Emily Behlmann oversees the website and other digital projects. She covers technology. For technology news, subscribe to the WBJ's free TechFlash newsletter.