Site Selection magazine has ranked North Carolina No. 1 in its list of states with the "top business climate" for the sixth year in a row.

The economic development magazine surveys corporate executives that help businesses select new locations for expansion. The ranking is based on factors such as cost of doing business, quality of the workforce and number of new projects recently announced.

The No. 1 ranking for North Carolina has become almost a given -- this is the ninth year out of the past 10 that the state has been at the top.

But it's an important bragging right for economic recruiters as they work to lure new businesses. State officials routinely point to such "best of" lists as they tout North Carolina's charms.

North Carolina kept the top spot in Site Selection magazine's ranking of states with the best business climate.

It was the fifth year in a row the magazine ranked North Carolina No. 1. Texas was No. 2, followed by Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee and South Carolina.

The ranking comes as North Carolina is about to lose a major economic development project: Dell announced it plans to close its Winston-Salem factory in January and lay off 900 workers.

Such lists, while routine for the Tar Heel state, are still helpful in luring new business and jobs by painting North Carolina in a positive light, economic development officials say.