Today, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that four counties in the state have been recognized among the top 20 per capita in Site Selection magazine’s America’s Best Counties ranking. The counties include Muhlenberg, Scott, Shelby, and Mason, with Muhlenberg County achieving third place.
"This national recognition shows that Kentucky is an economic leader and we’re continuing to create new jobs and great opportunities for people and communities across our commonwealth," said Gov. Beshear. "Congratulations to Muhlenberg, Scott, Shelby and Mason counties on being recognized among America’s best counties for economic growth since the start of 2024."
The rankings were determined using Site Selection's point system, which takes into account projects announced between January 2024 and March 2025, as well as capital investment and job creation.
Muhlenberg County's strong performance was attributed to projects such as Repkon USA – Defense LLC's TNT facility in Graham and Biomass Engineering and Equipment's $20 million facility at Paradise Regional Industrial Park.
In Scott County, Toyota increased its investment in battery electric vehicle production by $1.3 billion in February 2024 and announced a further $922 million investment for an advanced paint facility in Georgetown.
Shelby County saw a significant announcement from Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing with a nearly $712 million investment creating 1,572 high-tech positions for energy storage systems production.
Mason County benefited from Mitsubishi Electric US's $143.5 million investment in Maysville to produce heat pump compressors. This project was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for a pending $50 million grant.
Site Selection magazine previously ranked Kentucky highly for economic development projects per capita in its Governor’s Cup rankings and Prosperity Cup ranking.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has overseen over 1,200 private-sector projects totaling more than $36 billion in investments, creating over 62,000 jobs—the highest investment figure under any governor in Kentucky's history.
Kentucky has also seen rising wages with average incentivized hourly wages exceeding $26 since 2022. Major projects include Ford Motor Co. and SK On’s BlueOval SK Battery Park in Hardin County and AESC’s gigafactory project in Warren County.
Gov. Beshear highlighted these achievements alongside fiscal successes such as securing the largest General Fund budget surplus and maintaining over two million filled jobs since 2023.
Kentucky also received rating increases from credit agencies Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service.
Gov. Beshear announced a new initiative called New Kentucky Home aimed at boosting economic investment, attracting talent, and increasing tourism statewide.