Kansas Ranked as Number One Business Climate in West North Central Region

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Kansas was recognized by Site Selection magazine as having the top business climate in the West North Central region of the United States in 2021.

In 2020, Kansas ranked fourth in the West North Central region for business climate – jumping three spots to first place in 2021. Kansas is followed in ranking order by Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, and North Dakota. 

“Since Day One, my administration has strengthened the essential services that make Kansas the best state in the nation for families, young people, and businesses to succeed,” Governor Kelly said. “This designation – in addition to the Gold Shovel Award and record-breaking business investment – are further proof that our efforts are paying off in a big way. Moving forward, we will continue making the strategic investments in infrastructure, health care, education, and economic development that make Kansas the top business destination in the country.”

The announcement comes after Kansas was honored for its commitment to economic development excellence by receiving Area Development magazine’s Gold Shovel Award for 2021, the highest award given to a state.

Since 2019, Kansas has seen nearly $6 billion in new business dollars invested in the state, and nearly 26,000 jobs.

“This honor is the direct result of Governor Kelly’s commitment to our state’s economy,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Kansas is rapidly building a national, and international, reputation for innovation, strategic investment, economic growth and prosperity – all of which will continue to bring more businesses to our state. The Kelly administration’s approach to economic development is creating momentum that will last well into the future, and people around the world are noticing.”

States are ranked based on the following criteria:

• Total new and expanded facilities in 2020
• Total new and expanded facilities in 2020 per 1 million population
• Total capital investment in new and expanded facilities in 2020
• Total capital investment in new and expanded facilities per 1 million population in 2020
• Total new jobs created in 2020
• Total new jobs created in 2020 per 1 million population
• Rank in the corporate real estate executive portion of the 2020 Site Selection Business Climate Ranking
• State tax climate as ranked by the Tax Foundation
• Performance in the Beacon Hill Institute’s State Competitiveness Index
• Number of National Career Readiness Certificates per 1,000 residents aged 18-64, according to ACT — Workforce Development Division, administrator of the ACT Certified Work Ready Communities initiative.

Site Selection Magazine’s mission is to deliver location intelligence and actionable insights into corporate expansion projects and economic development strategy. Learn more about the magazine and its business climate rankings here.