Ihor Chopovskyi | Istock | Getty Images
California Score and RankingCATEGORY 2026 SCORE 2026 RANK 2025 RANK 2026 GRADE INFRASTRUCTURE2262625C+ECONOMY295312AWORKFORCE2001720C+QUALITY OF LIFE1472932CCOST OF DOING BUSINESS874640D-TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION18911A+BUSINESS FRIENDLINESS604748FACCESS TO CAPITAL10411A+EDUCATION532031C+COST OF LIVING45050FOVERALL13651722Economic Profile
Governor: Gavin Newsom, Democrat
Population: 39,355,309
GDP growth (Q1 2026): 3.70%
Unemployment rate (May 2026): 5.30%
Top corporate tax rate: 8.84% (10.84% for financial institutions)
Top individual income tax rate: 13.30%
Gasoline tax: 91.52 cents/gallon
Bond rating (Moody’s/S&P): Aa2, Stable/AA-, Stable
Economic profile sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute (including 18.40 cent/gallon federal tax), Moody’s Investor Service, S&P Global Market Intelligence
More coverage of the 2026 America’s Top States for BusinessChoose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.