Is Arizona The Best State To Start A Business In?

While it's not New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, Phoenix, and by extension, Arizona, is one of the most innovative states in the Union.

As such, dozens of inventions and companies have found their start here, in the Grand Canyon State, but is it worth following your dreams and starting up here?

Arizona: An Innovation Playground

As of 2025, around 65 major international corporations got their start in the Grand Canyon State. These range from entertainment (Harkins Theatres) to retail (Sprouts Markets) to our largest market, tech (GoDaddy). Industry thrives in the desert, apparently.

In 2018, Forbes named the state the 17th best in the nation for starting a business, and that opportunity has only risen over the past seven years. Sure, we have a lot of businesses started here, but what sets us apart from most of the rest of the U.S. is our ability to create winning businesses.

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Arizona is Being Sold to China??

Arizona on the Fortune 500

Recently, the 2025 Fortune 500 list released, breaking down the most profitable companies in America. Arizona held nine spots on the list this year, one less than last year, but still a considerable amount. The companies involved were:

• Freeport-McMoRan (#169)
• Avnet (#181)
• Republic Services (#266)
• Reliance (#309)
• Carvana (#314)
• Insight Enterprises (#447)
• Taylor Morrison Home (#467)
• Sprouts Farmers Market (#481)
• Microchip Technology (#485)

Many of these businesses are not just financially exceptional, but have a place within the wider sphere of pop culture, meaning their impacts will last long after they're gone. So, if you want your business to not only succeed, but create a buzz in the industry, Arizona might be the place for you to start.

[Axios]