Website Thumbtack.com has published its second annual report ranking states for their favorable and unfavorable business climates.

Idaho, like it did last year in the survey, scored a big A+. The top ranking states overall were Utah, Alabama, New Hampshire, Idaho and Texas. The lowest rated were Illinois, California, Hawaii, Maine and, in last place, Rhode Island.

The state-by-state map is at this link.

States are ranked on ease of starting a business, ease of hiring, regulations, tax codes, licensing, zoning and  other factors.

Washington, which got a C-minus last year, moved up to a B-minus.

Here are the Idaho and Washington breakdowns, provided by Sander Daniels of Thumbtack.com. A release says the results come from surveys of more than 7,700 small businesses across the United States. The survey asked questions about the friendliness of states and cities toward small business.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is given credit by Thumbtack for helping produce the survey.

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