This Is Quite Incredible: North Dakota, South Dakota Rank 3rd, 1st In America's Top States for Business for 2013

Yahoo!Finance is reporting:

South Dakota has climbed to the top of America's Top States for Business for 2013.

It is the best finish yet for the Mount Rushmore State, which has always been a quiet contender in our annual study, rarely finishing outside the Top 10. But more impressive, South Dakota's point total this year-1,639 out of a possible 2,500-is the highest logged by any state since we began keeping score in 2007.

The top five:

• South Dakota
• Texas
• North Dakota
• Nebraska
• Utah/Virginia -- tied for fifth

North Dakota jumped from fifth to third this year. 

North Dakota, a historic economic success story, improves on last year's fifth place finish to come in third this year with 1,592 points. The Peace Garden State ranks second-just behind Texas-in Economy and in Infrastructure. But North Dakota is, in some ways, held back by its own prosperity. With the nation's lowest unemployment rate, workers are in short supply. That raises wage costs. And North Dakota's growing pains leave the state with some of the most expensive rental costs in the country for industrial space. North Dakota finishes 12th in Cost of Doing Business, and near the bottom-46th-for Technology & Innovation.