By THE ALASKA STORY
July 10, 2026 – As the Alaska Legislature drifts through a special session with no meetings scheduled until next week and just days remaining before adjournment on July 19, a new national ranking underscores the stakes.
CNBC has ranked Alaska 49th overall in its 2026 America’s Top States for Business study, placing the state second from the bottom, ahead of only Hawaii. The annual ranking evaluates all 50 states across 138 metrics in 10 categories that companies use when deciding where to invest and expand. Infrastructure received the greatest weight in this year’s methodology, reflecting the importance businesses place on transportation, permitting, utilities, and access to reliable energy.
The top 10 states this year are Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Minnesota, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Indiana.
The bottom five are West Virginia, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Alaska, and Hawaii.
For Alaska, the report highlights a familiar pattern: strengths in quality of life and business friendliness, but deep weaknesses in the very areas that drive long-term investment.
Alaska ranked:
- 20th in business friendliness
- 24th in economy
- 26th in quality of life
- 43rd in workforce
- 47th in technology and innovation
- 50th in infrastructure
Those numbers help explain why Alaska continues to struggle attracting major private-sector investment outside of resource development.
The infrastructure ranking is particularly striking.
CNBC made infrastructure its highest-weighted category in 2026, noting that companies increasingly prioritize dependable transportation networks, energy availability, permitting efficiency, and access to markets when selecting locations.
That emphasis comes at an awkward moment for Alaska, as the Democrat-led Legislature remains deadlocked over legislation needed to advance the proposed Alaska LNG project, one of the largest infrastructure projects ever contemplated in North America. The project is intended to commercialize North Slope natural gas, provide long-term energy security for Southcentral Alaska, and create new export opportunities.
Instead, lawmakers have spent weeks divided over tax policy and project terms. Leadership has postponed meetings until next week even though the special session expires July 19, leaving only a narrow window to reach agreement.
Supporters of the gasline argue that the project would directly address several of the weaknesses identified by CNBC by expanding energy infrastructure, encouraging industrial investment, creating construction jobs, and improving Alaska’s long-term economic competitiveness.
Failure to act, they say, risks reinforcing the perception that Alaska is unable to execute large-scale development projects despite possessing some of the nation’s richest natural resources.
The CNBC rankings cannot predict Alaska’s future. But they do provide an outside snapshot of how corporate site selectors currently view the state.
Being ranked 49th is not merely a public relations problem. It reflects concerns about infrastructure, workforce, innovation, and the broader business climate that influence billions of dollars in private investment decisions.
The question now facing lawmakers is whether Alaska’s ranking will improve as the state pursues major energy development—or whether continued legislative gridlock will cement its place near the bottom.
5 thoughts on “Alaska scrapes bottom again: CNBC ranks state 49th for business, as gasline special session stalls”
Business needs stability, this fickle on again,off again crap is anathema to long term planning
But we’re Number 1 in adult SNAP participation, and right up there for illegal drug use and alcoholism. We’re also right up there in having the most state and local government compared with our GSP, and with high health care costs (but we have the 37.5 hour workweek for state & local government). Very low education results as measured by standardized tests. Honestly don’t know what is wrong with Alaska but do know that we need new leadership in the executive and legislative branches. And I can say that big government and socialism don’t work well.
Kayak – I was surprised by your opening statement about SNAP participation. A simple search reveals Alaska is nowhere near the top. So kayak – maybe try not to blow so much smoke when you decide to respond. Same goes with alcoholism. Gun violence I recall is near the top. But that probably doesn’t align with your political beliefs. I was surprised you didn’t bring up communism and/or trans athletes while you were getting things off your chest. Thoughts and prayers for the turtle.
Alaska also ranks 49th in education too.
Don’t expect much out of community leaders no smarter than the Alaskans rank the state 49th in education.
The illiteracy and uneducated Alaskan voters are the ones putting the legislators there.
To be honest if you are a community leader of an Alaska community “ Don’t get so haughty that you think yourself better and smarter than the peasants. Because of your position. You reside over a state or community where the people can’t even read and vote for smooth talking idiots who are no better than those voting for him” if a community leader is smart they got to prove themselves smarter by working differently”