Utah No. 1 for business

Forbes.com this week listed Utah as the top state in the union for doing business and building careers. (Read the report here.) This recent photo from the Daybreak subdivision attests to this. Not many parts of the country have home construction underway.

Statistics tell the story. Utah’s economy grew 3.5 percent a year over the last five years. Only North Dakota did better, and the rate was three-and-a-half times better than the nation. Employment here grew by 1.5 percent a year over that time and household income grew by 5 percent a year.
That last figure may confuse some people who are used to hearing how the state ranks low in per capita income. That rate is misleading because it takes into account the large families in the state. Household income in Utah generally ranks well above average (14th in 2008).
This is a nice honor, even though in this economy it may be like being named the tallest mountain in Kansas. However, it shows the state is doing something right if it can do well under these circumstances.
My question is, how important are rankings such as these? Do businesses use them when deciding to relocate or expand?