PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland is among the worst states for business, according to CNBC’s most recent annual American business ranking.
The city was ranked the 11th worst state for business in 2025, according to seven categories that evaluated each state’s economy, infrastructure, workforce, cost of doing business, business friendliness, quality of life, and technology and innovation.
This year’s rating comes just one year after Oregon was ranked as the 28th best state for business, and eight years after ranking as the 17th best in 2017.
Eye on Northwest Politics
According to Oregon Business and Industry experts, this is the lowest ranking the state has ever received in CNBC’s state business rankings.
According to Oregon Business and Industry CEO Angela Wilhelms, this year’s ranking is a “echo (of) what businesses have been telling state leaders for years.”
“Oregon’s slipping competitiveness should alarm policymakers,” Wilhelms told reporters. “It’s long past time for them to listen to the business community and take meaningful steps to improve the business climate.
After all, a healthy private sector is required to foster the economic conditions that lead to increased prosperity, philanthropy, and tax revenue for critical government services.”
The state’s ranking suffered some setbacks, including in the categories of economy, cost of doing business, cost of living, quality of life, technology and innovation.
However, the state made improvements in infrastructure, workforce, education, access to capital, and business friendliness.
Oregon had the 47th worst business friendliness rating. The only states that performed worse were New York, New Jersey, and California. Its highest rating was for infrastructure, technology, and innovation, both of which ranked 14th in the country.
CNBC’s full ranking for America’s top states for business can be found here.
