Governor Greg Abbott announced on May 4 that Texas won the 2026 Prosperity Cup, an annual award from Site Selection magazine that recognizes the top-performing state for job-creating business investment. The state earned the highest scores across 10 distinct categories, including capital investment, business and tax climate, and workforce readiness.
The 2026 win marks the second consecutive year Texas has achieved a “Triple Crown” of economic development awards from Site Selection, which also includes the Governor’s Cup for most new facility projects and the award for Top Business Climate. The significance of the Prosperity Cup lies in its comprehensive index, which evaluates not only the volume of new projects but also the quality of job creation and the state’s success in preparing its labor force for high-demand sectors.
According to Ron Starner, Executive Vice President of Site Selection, Texas continues to outperform other states by a “wide margin” across every metric employed by the publication.
Texas’ top ranking for business investment is supported by recent state-level data showing sustained expansion in both its labor force and its active business inventory. Previous reporting by The Texas Dispatch on May 1 detailed that Texas reached a record 14.4 million total non-farm jobs in March, adding 46,800 positions in a single month. To facilitate this growth, the state has prioritized reducing administrative burdens for new and expanding companies.
As reported by The Texas Dispatch on April 29, the Secretary of State recently expanded the “Texas Express” expedited business filing service to offer same-day and next-day processing for business formations, helping entrepreneurs and investors launch operations more rapidly.
The Prosperity Cup’s focus on workforce readiness also reflects recent state investments in education and technical training. On April 30, The Texas Dispatch reported that Governor Abbott and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board opened applications for $17 million in grants to support short-term workforce training programs for high-demand careers like medical assistants and HVAC technicians.
Additionally, the state has utilized the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund to secure advanced manufacturing projects, including a $20.8 million grant awarded on April 29 to expand semiconductor chip production in Sugar Land. These targeted efforts are part of the state’s “Building a Talent Strong Texas” strategic plan, which aims to ensure that the growing population of 31.7 million residents has access to credentials that hold direct value in the modern workforce.
“With America’s best business climate, powered by predictable, pro-growth policies and a highly skilled and growing workforce, we will build a more prosperous Texas for decades to come,” Governor Abbott said.