Texas is not giving up its grip on the corporate crown. For the 22nd year in a row, the nation’s top executives have crowned the Lone Star State the best place in America to do business, and state officials are wasting no time turning the bragging rights into a calling card.
As detailed by CultureMap Houston, Chief Executive magazine’s annual survey of CEOs, presidents and business owners once again put Texas at No. 1. The outlet walked through the fresh set of poll results and home-state reaction to the streak.
The governor’s office quickly celebrated the ranking and tied it to a broader economic story. "Texas is where businesses innovate and where opportunity abounds," Gov. Greg Abbott said, according to the Office of the Governor. The same statement pointed to preliminary International Monetary Fund estimates that would place Texas as the world’s eighth-largest economy, and Chief Executive Group Publisher Christopher Chalk called the 22-year streak "an incredible run that Texas has going."
Numbers Behind the Claim
State leaders are backing up the CEO sentiment with federal data. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Texas’ 2025 current-dollar GDP came in at about $2.9 trillion, with roughly 2.5% growth that year, the fastest pace in the country. Those preliminary figures are the numbers officials highlight when they talk up the Chief Executive ranking.
How the CEO Poll Works
The Best & Worst States list is built from an annual Chief Executive survey that asks business leaders to grade states on three big buckets: business climate, workforce and quality of life. It is a snapshot of executive sentiment more than a single hard-data index, and it reflects what CEOs say they care about when deciding where to put headquarters, factories or new offices.
Why It Matters For Texas
For Texas economic-development officials, that No. 1 slot is marketing gold. When they court relocations and expansions, the state’s promotional arm splashes the ranking and related statistics across its Business in Texas site, folding the accolade into their pitch to companies shopping for a new home.
At the same time, rankings like Chief Executive’s capture attention and boardroom buzz, not the full reality of day-to-day life for residents. For now, Texas leaders are pointing to the long-running CEO vote and the federal GDP numbers as signs of momentum. Future revisions from the BEA and next year’s CEO survey will show whether the streak that Chalk called "incredible" keeps rolling or finally hits a bump.
