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" ... in Hawaii the biggest champion of early learning, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, is now on leave confirming that she is the target of an unrelated criminal investigation ..." -- CNBC
Hawaii is America’s Worst State for Business in 2026
Hawaii finishes dead last in CNBC’s annual America’s Top States for Business rankings in 2026. CNBC’s Scott Cohn has the details.
Hawaii Score and Ranking
| CATEGORY |
2026 SCORE |
2026 RANK |
2025 RANK |
2026 GRADE |
| INFRASTRUCTURE |
102 |
50 |
48 |
F |
| ECONOMY |
214 |
24 |
39 |
C |
| WORKFORCE |
148 |
43 |
29 |
F |
| QUALITY OF LIFE |
191 |
6 |
6 |
B+ |
| COST OF DOING BUSINESS |
35 |
50 |
50 |
F |
| TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION |
62 |
49 |
48 |
F |
| BUSINESS FRIENDLINESS |
71 |
45 |
44 |
D- |
| ACCESS TO CAPITAL |
25 |
44 |
48 |
F |
| EDUCATION |
45 |
34 |
42 |
C- |
| COST OF LIVING |
14 |
47 |
49 |
D |
| OVERALL |
907 |
50 |
49 |
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Economic Profile
Governor: Josh Green, Democrat
Population: 1,432,820
GDP growth (Q1 2026): 2.40%
Unemployment rate (May 2026): 2.50%
Top corporate tax rate: 6.40%
Top individual income tax rate: 11.00%
Gasoline tax: 36.9 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
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