Illinois Climbs to #13 in CNBC’s Top States for Business, Marking Historic High

By Editor | July 16, 2025 |

CNBC today released its 2025 Top States for Business rankings, with Illinois earning the 13th best state for business—its highest position ever and a significant rise from 30th place in 2019. The climb highlights Gov. Pritzker’s leadership to grow the Illinois economy and make it the best state to do business, get an education, and raise a family.
■ Illinois also climbed in other key categories CNBC tracks:
■ Illinois is #3 for education (up one spot from 2024)
■ Illinois is in the top 10 rankings for the infrastructure (#8), technology and innovation (#6), and access to capital (#5) categories
■ Illinois is in the Top 20 rankings for the workforce #19 (up 18 spots from 2024) and cost of business #19 (up 13 spots from 2024) categories
“Since taking office, I have been on a mission to attract more businesses to Illinois, grow our economy, and give us a competitive edge for years to come. The latest rankings from today are a testament to the progress we have made here in Illinois and a clear sign that our thoughtful strategy and fiscal responsibility is paying off,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “From rebuilding our infrastructure, strengthening our workforce, and investing in education from cradle to career, we have laid the foundation for sustained growth and prosperity. This progress is a clear indication of what Illinois is capable of.”
“As the years go on, Illinois continues to solidify its reputation as a global economic powerhouse under the leadership of Governor Pritzker,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “CNBC’s rankings are further evidence that business is booming in Illinois, and DCEO is committed to supporting the state’s world-class workforce while bolstering local economies in every corner of Illinois.”
“Illinois is taking clear and effective steps to improve its business prowess, as reflected in the marked jump since 2019 in CNBC’s overall rankings of top states for business,” said Intersect Illinois President and CEO Christy George. “From expanding its arsenal of development-ready sites to prioritizing tech and growth-forward industries, Illinois is signaling to companies all over the world that it is open for business like never before.”
New State Business Incentives
Gov. Pritzker has launched new business attraction incentives and improved Illinois’ existing suite over the last several years in order to attract and retain job creators looking to locate or expand their business in Illinois. To further accelerate growth, this year’s budget signed by Gov. Pritzker includes a historic $500 million investment in site readiness to prepare idle state-owned properties for future private development
Businesses have also gained confidence in Illinois as it has demonstrated strong fiscal responsibility under Gov. Pritzker’s leadership, including earning nine credit upgrades, balancing seven consecutive budgets, paying off billions in debt, and making focused investments in economic growth initiatives.
Education and Workforce Initiatives
Additionally, this administration has prioritized sustained year-over-year investments in education from cradle to career. Gov. Pritzker initiated the largest early childhood investments in state history—creating more than 11,000 new publicly funded preschool seats in the last two years alone. He’s provided a historic $2.8 billion increase in K-12 funding to help public schools improve student achievement, address the teacher shortage, and expand access to computer science coursework.
These investments are paying off: reading scores for Illinois’ eighth graders are now the 2nd highest in the nation, and math scores are the 5th highest, and Illinois is currently ranked 4th for Pre-K-12th education, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Gov. Pritzker has also made college more affordable and more accessible. Under his leadership, the state has increased operating funding for public universities and community colleges by more than $255 million, increased financial aid by $345 million, and authorized a direct admissions program that will make it easier for Illinois students to enroll in public universities. These efforts have fueled enrollment growth in Illinois’ postsecondary institutions. Last fall, Illinois recorded the largest increase in community college enrollment in 15 years, while most of the U.S. saw a decline, and experienced the highest public university enrollment in eight years.
Improving Illinois
Today’s rankings build on a series of new investments and recent accolades awarded to Illinois, further underscoring the state’s robust economic activity, high skilled workforce, world class infrastructure, and competitive incentives.
■ Today, Gov. Pritzker announced that Pure Lithium Corporation, a manufacturer of electric batteries, will relocate its operations from Boston to Chicago with the support of state incentives. The company plans to invest $46 million and create 50 new jobs.
■ Earlier this month, Site Selection Magazine named Cook County (#5) and Lake County (#10) among the Top 10 Best Counties in America for economic development.
■ Alongside making the top 10 counties list, Illinois moved up one spot on the magazine’s sustainability rankings to #6 this year, following Illinois doubling of private sector investment in clean energy economy from $2 billion to $4 billion in 2024.
■ Earlier this year, for the third consecutive year in a row, the magazine also ranked Illinois second for corporate expansion and relocation.
■ Illinois also secured an Area Development Silver Shovel award as a result of its standout investments in the technology, digital and quantum industries.