Virginia's Future with CNBC Ranking

Let's not lose the opportunity to improve and grow (Ken Burns and Dave Matthews help)

Jul 11, 2025

Q - when did Duke last win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament? 2015

Q - when did Alabama last win the NCAA football crown? 2020

Q - which NCAA conference has won the last two football championships? Hint - not the SEC. Yup - the Big Ten! (it’s actually 18 teams now)

Q - when did the New York Yankees last win the World Series? 2009

Q - when did the Dallas Cowboys last win the Super Bowl? 1996 (thanks, Neil O’Donnell…<facial tic returns>)

And before you ask, the L.A. Lakers last won the NBA Finals in 2020.

Why did I pick on those teams? They have the same fan.

We all know that guy, right?

Yeah, he also roots for either Manchester United or Manchester City depending on the year.

(I’m not saying that fan is a CNBC ranking analyst. I’m not. At all. But if the analogy helps make the case…run with it)

When our four kids were growing up, I sat them down together and explained to them that while we are, in fact, Catholic, their faith and spiritual journey is a deeply personal one. Your mother and I will support you no matter what.

I told them that they can be whatever they want - Buddhist, Baptist, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim…hey, take a spin on the wild side and try hitting that moving target Presbyterianism.

BUT IN THIS HOUSE - YOU ARE A PITTSBURGH STEELERS FAN.

That’s just who WE ARE.

Non negotiable.

With that comes the Pittsburgh Penguins (now five Stanley Cups). Heck, we named a dog for Sidney Crosby.

But…what about the…

Yes! WE ARE Pittsburgh Pirates fans. We ARE family. We would HAVE to be to put up with that misery.

With me so far?

Good.

Yesterday’s announcement of the CNBC Top States for Business creates a lot of political finger pointing (and not a lot of reflection) on Virginia falling <pearl clutch> from #1 last year to #4 this year.

Okay. Let’s look at the actual scores and rankings over the last five years.

Out of a possible 2500 points - according to CNBC - the Commonwealth racked up the following:

2021 - 1581 (#1)

2022 - 1553 (#3)

2023 - 1527 (#2)

2024 - 1595 (#1)

2025 - 1584 (#4)

Pretty consistent even with CNBC’s constantly moving metrics, right? Not too shabby.

Clearly, CNBC cited the risks to our economy due to the federal workforce decisions of the Trump Administration.

That is a completely legitimate observation since Virginia is, in fact, so heavily dependent on federal spending.

Remember the rankings of 2015 and 2016? #12 and #13 respectively.

Lots of finger pointing in those years.

Was it President Obama and Governor McAuliffe’s fault or the downstream effects from Republican led Sequestration? #BipartisanBravoSierra #HelloTedCruz

Look, Virginia’s #1 customer has a dreadful balance sheet.

If your best customer has a lousy financial condition, you better be looking for other customers, right?

Rather than pointing partisan fingers (no matter how deserved), how about we take this annual review as an opportunity to explore what Virginia needs to do in order to build an economy that keeps our kids and grandkids from moving to the Carolinas, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee?

Let’s try that. Who knows maybe the candidates for statewide office might actually come up with an idea or two to help.

Reminder - ending the Car Tax, a local tax, comes with a $3,500,000,000.00 STATE price tag.

Have fun kids!

In order to start a constructive conversation, I dabbled with some AI platforms and this one landed. (Can’t recall the platform - maybe ChatGPT?)

To consistently rank #1 in CNBC’s **America’s Top States for Business** rankings, Virginia must leverage its historical strengths, address recent weaknesses, and adapt to evolving methodology trends (e.g., increasing metrics, shifting category weights, and new factors like AI readiness and trade war risks).

Based on the 2021–2025 rankings analysis (where Virginia averaged 2.2, with two #1 finishes but a slip to #4 in 2025), and comparing its performance to peers like North Carolina (average 1.4), Texas (4.2), and Florida (6.4), here are actionable strategies for Virginia to reclaim and maintain the top spot.

The recommendations focus on CNBC’s key categories (Workforce, Infrastructure, Economy, etc.) and align with the methodology’s emphasis on data-driven metrics and business priorities.

1. Strengthen Workforce Development and Retention

Why It Matters: Workforce has been a heavily weighted category (e.g., #1 in 2023), and Virginia’s 2025 ranking drop was partly due to slowing net migration of college-educated workers. North Carolina’s consistent top rankings (#1 in 2022, 2023, 2025) stem from its strong workforce metrics, like the Longleaf Commitment Community College Grants and Finish Line Grants.

Strategies:

Expand Talent Attraction Programs: Invest in initiatives like North Carolina’s grants to attract and retain skilled workers, particularly in tech and AI-driven industries. Offer incentives (e.g., relocation bonuses, tuition reimbursement) to boost in-migration of college-educated professionals, countering the 2025 slowdown noted in CNBC’s Lightcast data.
Upskill Existing Workforce: Enhance vocational training and STEM programs, building on Virginia’s #1 Education ranking (2024). Partner with universities and community colleges to create AI and data science certifications, aligning with CNBC’s 2024/2025 AI readiness metrics.
Improve Workforce Diversity: CNBC’s 2021–2025 methodology emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion (e.g., Virginia’s voting rights laws). Continue policies promoting inclusive hiring and workplace protections to maintain high Workforce and Life, Health & Inclusion scores.
Impact: A stronger, more diverse workforce would improve Virginia’s Workforce ranking (e.g., from #5 in 2024 to top three) and align with CNBC’s focus on talent as a business priority.

2. Enhance Infrastructure Resilience and Capacity

Why It Matters: Infrastructure was the top-weighted category in 2024, and Virginia’s #3 ranking in this category, bolstered by its site readiness program and data center dominance (70% of global internet traffic), helped secure its 2024 #1 spot. However, peers like Texas and North Carolina are investing heavily in infrastructure, and CNBC’s 2025 metrics emphasize power reliability and climate resilience.

Strategies:

Expand Data Center Infrastructure: Double down on Virginia’s lead as the world’s largest data center hub by incentivizing renewable energy integration to meet CNBC’s sustainability metrics (e.g., First Street Foundation data). This supports AI readiness, a growing factor since 2024.
Improve Power Grid Reliability: Address potential vulnerabilities in energy infrastructure to match Texas’s improvements (Workforce #1 but Infrastructure #26 in 2024). Invest in grid modernization to handle data center and industrial growth, aligning with CNBC’s 2025 focus on power demands.
Strengthen Climate Resilience: Enhance infrastructure to mitigate climate risks (e.g., flooding, storms), as CNBC’s methodology since 2023 includes First Street Foundation data. Develop more certified sites with climate-resilient features, building on Virginia’s Site Selectors Guild partnership data.
Impact: Reinforcing infrastructure would maintain Virginia’s edge in this high-weighted category, countering North Carolina’s infrastructure challenges (#20 in 2024) and Texas’s grid issues.

3. Diversify the Economy to Mitigate Federal Dependency

Why It Matters: Virginia’s 2025 drop to #4 was largely due to new CNBC metrics on exposure to federal budget cuts under the Trump administration, given the state’s reliance on federal jobs. North Carolina’s broader economic base (e.g., Amazon’s $10 billion data center, JetZero’s 14,500-job factory) helped it secure #1 in 2025.

Strategies:

Attract Diverse Industries: Offer tax incentives and grants to attract non-federal industries like advanced manufacturing, biotech, and clean energy. Emulate North Carolina’s success in landing major private investments to diversify economic drivers.
Promote Entrepreneurship: Enhance Access to Capital (Virginia tied for #1 in 2023) by expanding venture capital programs and startup incubators, particularly in tech hubs like Northern Virginia. This aligns with CNBC’s Technology and Innovation category.

Mitigate Trade War Risks: CNBC’s 2025 methodology introduced trade war risk metrics (e.g., tariff impacts on ports like North Carolina’s Wilmington). Virginia should strengthen its port infrastructure (e.g., Port of Virginia) and diversify trade partners to reduce vulnerabilities.

Impact: Reducing federal job reliance would stabilize Virginia’s Economy ranking (e.g., #4 in 2024) and protect against future policy-driven metrics, narrowing the gap with North Carolina’s #3 Economy ranking in 2025.

4. Improve Quality of Life and Cost of Living

Why It Matters: Virginia’s Quality of Life ranking is moderate (e.g., #24 in 2024), lagging behind its Education and Infrastructure strengths. North Carolina (#32 in 2024) and Texas (#50 in 2024) struggle here, but Florida’s economic rise (#3 in 2025) shows that addressing cost and livability can boost rankings. CNBC’s 2025 methodology emphasized Cost of Living due to inflation concerns.

Strategies:

Enhance Healthcare Access: Improve healthcare metrics (e.g., reduce uninsured rates) to boost Life, Health & Inclusion scores, where Virginia has room to grow compared to peers.
Address Housing Costs: Implement policies to stabilize housing costs, as Florida’s high Cost of Living (#3 most expensive in 2025) hurt its ranking. Virginia’s moderate cost profile can be a competitive edge if maintained.
Invest in Community Amenities: Develop cultural and recreational amenities (e.g., parks, public transit) to improve Quality of Life scores, appealing to businesses prioritizing employee satisfaction.

Impact: Improvements here would counter Texas and Florida’s weaknesses, positioning Virginia as a more balanced contender against North Carolina’s workforce-driven dominance.

5. Align Economic Development Marketing with CNBC’s Methodology

Why It Matters: CNBC’s category weightings are based on how frequently states highlight factors in their economic development pitches. North Carolina’s consistent top rankings reflect its aggressive marketing of workforce and economy, while Virginia’s 2025 slip suggests its messaging didn’t fully align with new metrics like trade war risks.

Strategies:

Tailor Marketing Campaigns: Emphasize Virginia’s strengths in education, infrastructure, and AI readiness in state promotions. Highlight new initiatives (e.g., workforce upskilling, climate-resilient sites) to influence CNBC’s weighting of Workforce and Infrastructure.
Showcase Policy Adaptability: Publicize efforts to mitigate federal budget cut risks (e.g., diversifying industries) to align with 2025’s trade and federal policy metrics.
Engage Site Selectors: Strengthen partnerships with the Site Selectors Guild (a CNBC data source since 2024) to promote Virginia’s certified sites and business-friendly policies.

Impact: Strategic marketing would increase Virginia’s influence on category weightings, boosting its points in high-value categories like Economy and Infrastructure.

6. Anticipate Future Methodology Trends

Why It Matters: CNBC’s methodology evolves annually, with 135 metrics in 2025 (up from 60+ in 2017) and new focuses like AI readiness, trade war risks, and climate resilience. Virginia must stay ahead of these shifts to maintain competitiveness.

Strategies:

Invest in AI and Tech Infrastructure: Build on Virginia’s #4 AI readiness ranking (2024) by expanding data center capacity and broadband access, aligning with CNBC’s Technology and Innovation metrics.
Prepare for Climate Metric: Continue integrating sustainability data (e.g., First Street Foundation metrics) into infrastructure planning to address CNBC’s growing emphasis on climate resilience.
Monitor Policy Shifts: Proactively address trade and federal budget risks (e.g., tariffs, spending cuts) through economic diversification and resilient supply chains, as these metrics may persist in future rankings.

Impact: Proactively aligning with emerging trends would position Virginia to capitalize on future methodology changes, unlike Texas and Florida, which lag in sustainability.

Critical Considerations

North Carolina’s Edge: North Carolina’s consistent #1 rankings (2022, 2023, 2025) show the power of workforce and economic diversity. Virginia must match this by addressing federal job reliance and boosting workforce in-migration.
Peer Weaknesses: Texas’s poor Quality of Life (#50 in 2024) and Florida’s high Cost of Living (#3 in 2025) are exploitable gaps. Virginia’s balanced profile (strong Education, moderate Quality of Life) can be a differentiator.
Methodology Limitations: CNBC’s reliance on states’ marketing for weightings may reward strong PR over performance. Virginia should ensure its economic development agency (e.g., Virginia Economic Development Partnership) aggressively promotes its strengths.
Skepticism of Rankings: Economic development experts caution that rankings oversimplify complex factors. While targeting #1, Virginia should prioritize sustainable growth over chasing metrics alone.

Conclusion

To consistently rank #1 IN CNBC, Virginia should:

1. Bolster workforce attraction and upskilling to rival North Carolina.

2. Enhance infrastructure with a focus on energy reliability and climate resilience.

3. Diversify its economy to reduce federal job dependency.

4. Improve quality of life and stabilize costs to compete with Florida and Texas.

5. Align marketing with CNBC’s evolving methodology (e.g., AI, trade risks).

6. Anticipate future trends like sustainability and tech innovation.

By addressing its 2025 vulnerabilities and building on its education and infrastructure strengths, Virginia can close the gap with North Carolina’s 1.4 average ranking and secure more consistent #1 finishes.

OH and Don’t Touch Right to Work