The Oklahoman

Site Selection magazine has placed Oklahoma at No. 18 on its Top Business Climate for 2009 list. The ranking of the top 25 states is based, in part, on a survey of corporate real estate executives as well as a plant database that tracks new and expanded business facility activity. North Carolina had the No. 1-ranked business climate, followed by Texas and Virginia. Oklahoma's ranking rose from No. 24 in 2008. In 2007, the state ranked No. 15.