Best Cities for Entrepreneurs

The May 2007 edition of  Inc. Magazine contains an article titled BoomTowns '07.  It includes the top cities for entrepreneurs.  To determine the top cities the magazine examined job-growth data, current-year employment growth, average annual job growth over the past three years, comparison of job growth in the first and second halves of the period comprising the past 10 years, and job growth by industry sector.   

The top 10 cities overall include:  St. George, Utah; Yuma, Arizona; Fort Myers, Florida; McAllen, Texas; Naples, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Sarasota, Florida; Morgantown, W. Virginia; and Bend, Oregon. 

The top 10 large cities include:  Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada; Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California; West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Florida; Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina; Honolulu, Hawaii; Northern Virginia; and Salt Lake City, Utah.   

The top 10 mid-size cities include:  Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida; McAllen-Edinburgh-Mission, Texas; Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, Florida; Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas; Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida; Lakeland, Florida; Provo-Orem, Utah; Reno-Sparks, Nevada; Boise City-Nampa, Idaho; and Savannah, Georgia.

The top 10 small cities include:  St. George, Utah; Yuma, Arizona; Prescott, Arizona; Naples-Marco Island, Florida; Morgantown, W. Virginia; Ben, Oregon; Laredo, Texas; Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, Florida; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

For the Missouri-Kansas-Oklahoma-Arkansas area it includes only Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas (#4 on mid-size) and  Springfield, Missouri (#20 on mid-size).  Florida seems to have the majority of cities more open to entrepreneurs.  You might consider this when determining where to open your next business.

Source:  Inc., May 2007, BoomTowns '07 by Joel Kotkin/Rankings by Michael A. Shires