North Carolina yet again holds on to the No. 5 spot in this year's America's Top States for Business ranking, with a score of 1,568 points out of a possible 2,500 in our study. The Tar Heel State's best category is Technology & Innovation, moving up one spot this year to No. 6 from No. 7. It also moved up two notches from No. 9 last year to No. 7, clinching another top 10 finish in the Workforce category.

Quality of Life is where North Carolina continues to fall short in our rankings, still sitting in the bottom half, at No. 28. As well, state budget cuts in school spending dropped North Carolina four spots, to No. 32, in Education. And despite the repeal of the state's controversial "bathroom bill," it is still 1 of only 5 states with no antidiscrimination laws for non-disabled people.