Missouri ranks near middle for business

The Best States for Business list, released Tuesday, was compiled to show businesses what locations could minimize costs associated with the U.S. corporate tax rate and rising litigation costs.

In the individual categories, Missouri ranked No. 9 for its regulatory environment and No. 16 for its quality of life. Other factors included its labor, ranking No. 22; its business costs, ranking No. 21; its growth prospects, ranking No. 35; and its economic climate, near the bottom at No. 47.

Factors in the ranking included business and living costs, job and income growth, educational attainment, net migration, and crime rates. The magazine also examined the amount of venture capital money going into an area and the number of new businesses in the last five years.