Here is a list of accolades and rankings that have been given to Georgia, her cities and counties along with education, companies and tourism since 2008.
State
Cities & Counties
Sea Ports
Education
Companies
Tourism
STATE 2008-2009
Entrepreneurial Activity
No. 1: Georgia
Source: Kauffman Foundation, 2009
Busiest Airport for Most Enplaned Domestic Passengers
No. 1: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in 2009
Source: Bureau of Transportation (PDF) March, 2010
Busiest Airport for Most Enplaned International Passengers
No. 3: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in 2009
Source: Bureau of Transportation (PDF) March, 2010
Job and Business Growth
No. 4: Georgia
Source: Chief Executive Magazine, 2009
America's Top States for Business '09
No. 10: Georgia
Source: CNBC
Most Popular State to Live
No. 14: Georgia
Source: Harris Poll, October 2009
Innovator Award for Bioenergy
Centers of Innovation for Agribusiness and Energy
Source: Southern Growth Policies Board, June 2009
Best State for Alternative Energy From Biomass
No. 3: Georgia
Source: Forbes Magazine, July 2008
Best Managed State in the Southeast – overall Grade B+
Individually:
Money B+
People A-
Infrastructure B
Information B+
Source: Pew Center in the States and Governing Magazine
Workforce Training
No. 1: Georgia's Quick Start program
Source: Expansion Magazine, 2008
Fiscal Policies
No. 1: Georgia
Source: Laffer Report, 2008
Business Climate
No. 3: Georgia
Source: Development Counselors International
Job and Business Growth
No. 4: Georgia
Source: Chief Executive Magazine, 2009
Economic Dynamism for Innovative, Fast-Growing Firms
No. 4: Georgia
- Georgia moves up 13 places in one year
Source: State New Economy Index, 2008
Best State for Business
No. 5: Georgia
- The state moved from 15th to 5th place and Georgia finished in the top 10 in four of the six categories examined (economic climate, growth prospects, labor supply and regulatory environment).
Source: Forbes , 2008
Most Pro-Business State
No. 7: Georgia
Source: Pollina Corp. Real Estate, 2008
Best State to Do Business In
No. 8: Georgia
Source: CNBC, 2008
cities & counties 2008-2010
atlanta
America's Most Wired Cities
No. 2
Source: Forbes Magazine, 2010
No. 2
Source: Forbes Magazine, 2009
Best Cities to Be a Movie Maker
No. 2
Source: MovieMaker, March 2009
Cities with Most Fortune 500 Companies
No. 4 (tie) with 13
Source: Forbes Magazine, 2009
Best Start-Up City
No. 7
- "...Atlanta (is) prime real estate for entrepreneurs with franchise dreams."
Source: Entrepreneur Magazine, 2009
Top 25 Tech Centers in America
No. 23
Source: Bizjournals, 2009
Best Places for Business & Careers
No. 24
Source: 11th annual ranking by Forbes Magaziine, 2009
America's Most Wired City
No. 2
Source: Forbes.com, 2009
No. 1
Source: Forbes.com, 2008
Most Inexpensive U.S. City to Do Business
No. 1
Source: KMPG auditing and consulting firm study , 2008
Best City for Jobs
No. 4
Source: Forbes.com, 2008
Best Places for Business and Careers
No. 6:
Source: Forbes.com, 2008
Top Destinations
No. 9
Georgia saw a 36% increase in people coming to the state vs. leaving
Source: RElocation.com. 2008
America's 10 Fastest Growing Counties
No. 8: Forsyth Co.
No. 9 Paulding Co
No.10: Jackson Co.
Georgia has 18 of the fastest growing counties in the U.S.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008
Athens
Best Small Places for Business and Careers
No. 13: Athens
Source: Forbes.com, 2008
Buford
Best Place to Live and Launch a Business
No. 3
Source: Fortune Small Business for CNNMoney.com, 2008
Dahlonega
Top Retirement Town
Source: Retirement Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2009
Duluth
Best Affordable Suburbs in America
No. 1 in Georgia
Source: Bloomberg's BusinessWeek Magazine
JOHNS CREEK
Wealthiest City in Georgia
No. 1: Johns Creek (95th nationally)
- City is only three years old
Source: Bizjournals
Savannah
Best Places for Business & Careers
No. 57: (Up from No. 90 in 2008)
Source: 11th annual ranking by Forbes Magaziine, 2009
One of the America's Prettiest Towns
"...the loveliest colonial town in the U.S."
Source: ForbesTraveler.com, October, 2009
No. 1 Attraction
The Mansion on Forsyth Park's 700 Kitchen Cooking School
Source: TripAdvisor, 2009
Henry County
Counties With Best Job Growth
No. 7: Henry County (2000-2008: 60.5%)
Source: CNN Money, August, 2009
Jekyll Island
Top Romantic Island Inns
No. 10: Jekyll Island Club Hotel
Source: Coastal Living, February, 2009
Sea ports
Brunsiwck
Top 10: Auto ports in U.S.
No. 2: Grain facility on U.S. East Coast
Savannah & Brunswick
“Fastest –growing port in the country” (first three quarters of 2007)
Georgia Ports grew 25.5% in the first three quarters of 2007 versus the national average of 4.8%
Source: Port Import Export Reporting Service (PIERS)
valdosta-Lowndes County
No. 3: Metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in its class designation for new and expanding industry. Source: Forbes.com
Source: America by Site Selection Magazine
Warner Robins
Best Places to Raise Your Kids in the USA
No. 3: Warner Robins
Source: BusinessWeek.com, November, 2009
Education - 2008, 2009 & 2010
Wesleyan College - Macon
No. 3 of 100 Best Value Colleges
Source: Princeton Review, presented by USA Today, 2010
University of Georgia - Athens
No. 7 of 100 Best Value Colleges
Source: Princeton Review, presented by USA Today, 2010
University of Georgia -Athens
No. 6 of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges
Source: Kiplinger's Persional Finance, February, 2010
Georgia Institute of Technology - Athens
No. 15 of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges
Source: Kiplinger's Persional Finance, February, 2010
Emory University - Atlanta
No. 17 nationally among universities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
Georgia Institute of Technology - Atlanta
No. 5 nationally for Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (where doctorate is highest degree) and No. 35 among national universities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
University of Georgia - Athens
No. 58 among national universities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
Agnes Scott College - Decatur
No. 2 (three-way tie): Up-and-coming Liberal Arts Colleges.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
Georgia College and State University - Milledgeville
No. 6: Up-and-coming Masters Universities (South)
No. 11: Top Public Schools: Master's Universities (South)
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
Kennesaw State University - Kennesaw
No. 8 Best Colleges: Up-an-coming Masters Universities (South)
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
Spelman College - Atlanta
No. 1: Fourth consecutive year Spelman has been ranked No. 1 among historically black colleges and universities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
Morehouse College - Atlanta
No. 3: Third consecutive year, Morehouse is ranked No. 3 among historically black colleges and universities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta) and Forth Valley State University (Forth Valley)
No. 21 (tie): Ranked among Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2010
North Georgia College & State University - Dahlonega
No. 78 of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges
Source: Kiplinger's Persional Finance, February, 2010
Georgia Southern University - Statesboro
No. 90 of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges
Source: Kiplinger's Persional Finance, February, 2010
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) - Atlanta
No. 7 for the third straight year among both public and private universities, Tech is tied for 35th nationally.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2009
Emory University - Atlanta
No. 17 among private and public universities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2009
University of Georgia - Athens
No. 21 among public institutions. Among public and private universities, UGA is ranked No. 58 nationally.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2009
Agness Scott College - Decatur (Metro Atlanta)
No. 2: Up-and-coming Liberal Arts Colleges
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2009
Spelman College - Atlanta
No. 1: For the third straight year Spelman is rated best among all historically black college and universities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2009
Morehouse College - Atlanta
No. 3: For the second consecutive year, Morehouse is rated third among all historically black colleges and universities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2009
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) - Atlanta
• Ranked seventh among the nation's public universities for undergraduates and is a top 10 public university for the 9th consecutive year.
• Georgia Tech has the nation’s largest college of engineering with four programs ranked in the top five:
• No. 1: Industrial Engineering
• No. 2: Aerospace Engineering
• No. 3: Biomedical Engineering
• No. 5: Civil Engineering
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2008
Emory University - Atlanta
No. 17 among 248 national universities
No. 12: Goizueta Business School among undergraduate business programs
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2008
University of Georgia - Athens
No. 20: Among all public universities
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guide, 2008
Georgia State University - Atlanta
Top 10: FlexMBA program nationally for more than a decade
Source: U.S. News & World Report's "Best College Guide"
No. 9: J. Mack Robinson College of Business is the 9th largest in the U.S.
Source: Georgia State University (GSU), 2008
COMPANIES
- 2010, 2008
World's Most Admired Companies
No. 10: The Coca-Cola Company (ranked No. 1 beverage company)
No. 33: United Parcel Service (UPS) (ranked No. 1 air, rail, truck & logistics company)
Source: Fortune Magazine, March 2010
Diversity - Top 40 Best Companies
Aflac Insurance – Columbus
The Coca-Cola Company – Atlanta
United Parcel Service (UPS) – Atlanta
Source: Black Enterprise Magazine (2008)
Tourism - 2008
Top 10 Sexiest Hotels in America
Savannah's The Mansion on Forsyth Park
- "... the Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah is seriously sexy."
Source: Forbes Traveler, 2008