Georgia ranks high for business, low for quality of life in CNBC survey
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Georgia given “F” for quality of life, ranks high for business, says CNBC survey
A new survey from CNBC ranks Georgia in the top 10 for business, but in the bottom for quality of life. The survey broke down all 50 US states, and Georgia ranked 7th overall for business. The top seven states for business are: North Carolina, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia. Georgia ranked 9th for economy, 4th for infrastructure, and 3rd for workforce. Georgia was one of nine states to receive an “F” grade for quality-of-life, which took into account crime rates, healthcare, and environment. The state’s low rating stems from the “huge gaps” in Georgia with income inequality.
Example video title will go here for this video
Example video title will go here for this video
To stream 11Alive on your phone, you need the 11Alive app.
ATLANTA — A new survey from CNBC ranks Georgia in the top 10 for business, but in the bottom for quality of life across the US.
The survey broke down all 50 US states. Georgia ranked 7th overall for business — that includes 9th for economy, 4th for infrastructure, and 3rd for workforce.
On the contrary, Georgia was one of nine states to receive an “F” grade for quality of life, which took into account crime rates, healthcare, and environment.
Tommy Pearce, executive director of the nonprofit data and research group Neighborhood Nexus, shared his thoughts on the ratings with 11Alive’s “The Take” on Thursday morning.
Why does Georgia rank low for quality of life?
Pearce believes the low rating stems from the “huge gaps” in Georgia with income inequality. He noted that Georgia’s rankings in similar surveys parallel these gaps, with the state either coming in really hot or really not.
“It draws attention to say, ‘If this is a great place to be an employer, how do we make it a great place to be an employee?'” said Pearce. “That’s a lot of families, a lot of working households, across our state.”
Where can Georgia improve its quality of life?
In looking to improve these stats, Pearce recommends diving into the individual parts driving Georgia’s holistic quality. He said that this summer, Georgia seems to be most stuck in providing affordable childcare. A lack of options forces parents to work less hours to take care of their kids, which can lower productivity for businesses.
Metro Atlanta just moved into last place for economic mobility, which also plays a part. This includes residents’ ability to move to higher income by the time they’re an adult when starting out in a lower-income family.
“The stat that keeps me up at night across the five core counties in metro Atlanta…We’ve got 12,000 homeless public school students,” said Pearce. “That’s 1.9% of the student population, which might sound a little low on a first take, but that’s just upsettingly high. That’s one in 50 kids.”
How did other states rank in business and quality of life?
For those wondering who beat Georgia for the top (or worst) spots, the CNBC survey provides a full list of all 50 states. The top seven states for business are:
North Carolina Texas Florida Virginia Ohio Michigan Georgia
The states with the weakest economies include Alaska, Mississippi, and Kansas. Meanwhile, the top seven states for worst quality of life are:
Tennessee
Texas
Indiana
Utah
Louisiana
Georgia
Alabama