 The Tar Heel State, still one of the best to do business in. After being named the number one state to do business in in 2022 and 23 by CNBC, North Carolina now ranks second, barely being edged out by Virginia. North Carolina scored high marks for business friendliness, workforce, and economy, but fell back in infrastructure, thanks in large part to water utilities, facing more than $20 billion in repair and maintenance needs over the next 20 years. WBT News Time, 503.