innovation begins here
Texas ranks as 3rd best state for new businesses in 2026
Texas has climbed back into the top three for the first time since 2023.
High employment growth and advantageous entrepreneurship rates have led Texas into a No. 3 spot in WalletHub's just-released ranking of "Best and Worst States to Start a Business" for 2026.
Texas bounced back into the No. 3 spot nationally for the first time since 2023. After dropping into 8th place in 2024, the state hustled into No. 4 last year.
Ever year, WalletHub compares all 50 states based on their business environment, costs, and access to financial resources to determine the best places for starting a business. The study analyzes 25 relevant metrics to determine the rankings, such as labor costs, office space affordability, financial accessibility, the number of startups per capita, and more.
When about half of all new businesses don't last more than five years, finding the right environment for a startup is vital for long-term success, the report says.
Here's how Texas ranked across the three main categories in the study:
- No. 1 – Business environment
- No. 11 – Access to resources
- No. 34 – Business costs
The state boasts the 10th highest entrepreneurship rates nationwide, and it has the 11th-highest share of fast-growing firms. WalletHub also noted that more than half (53 percent) of all Texas businesses are located in "strong clusters," which suggests they are more likely to be successful long-term.
"Clusters are interconnected businesses that specialize in the same field, and 'strong clusters' are ones that are in the top 25 percent of all regions for their particular specialization," the report said. "If businesses fit into one of these clusters, they will have an easier time getting the materials they need, and can tap into an existing customer base. To some degree, it might mean more competition, though."
Texas business owners should also keep their eye on Dallas, which was recently ranked the 3rd best U.S. city for starting a new business. Several neighbors around Dallas have also been hailed as top U.S. career hotspots with the best environments for tech workers. Workers in Texas are the "third-most engaged" in the country, the study added, a promising attribute for employers searching for the right place to begin their next business venture.
"Business owners in Texas benefit from favorable conditions, as the state has the third-highest growth in working-age population and the third-highest employment growth in the country, too," the report said.
The top 10 best states for starting a business in 2026 are:
- No. 1 – Florida
- No. 2 – Utah
- No. 3 – Texas
- No. 4 – Oklahoma
- No. 5 – Idaho
- No. 6 – Mississippi
- No. 7 – Georgia
- No. 8 – Indiana
- No. 9 – Nevada
- No. 10 – California
