Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America

 

2. Riverside-San Bernardino California's premier hot spot has been criticized as the epitome of urban sprawl and for creating mostly "crummy jobs."

But it's also been the Golden State's economic Energizer Bunny: The low-cost haven keeps on growing in population, attracting emigrants from the coast.

3. Las Vegas At first hurt by the downturn in tourism after 9/11, the Nevada metropolis has gotten its groove back. Although tourism remains the linchpin, the area is creating jobs in high-end sectors and even manufacturing, in large part because of an exodus from more expensive locales on the Western Seaboard.

4. San Antonio Largely unnoticed amidst the mega-hype surrounding media favorite Austin, this more affordable Texas city has benefited from steady population growth, a diversifying economy, and a strong military presence.

5. West Palm Beach This part of Florida is getting crowded, so relatively low prices could soon be a thing of the past. Right now, the perceived high quality of life and reasonable housing prices make this area an almost irresistible lure.

6. Southern New Jersey, New Jersey

7. Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood-Pompano Beach, Florida

8. Jacksonville, Florida

9. Newark, New Jersey

10. Suburban Maryland-D.C., Maryland

11. Orlando, Florida

12. Phoenix, Arizona

13. Washington MSA, District of Columbia

14. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida

15. San Diego, California

16. Nassau-Suffolk, New York

17. Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia

18. New Orleans, Louisiana

19. Austin, Texas

20. Northern Virginia, Virginia

21. Middlesex-Somerset- Hunterdon, New Jersey

22. Miami-Hialeah, Florida

23. Orange County, California

24. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

25. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, New York

Medium Cities

With job bases from 150,000 to 450,000, the midsize cities include a strong showing from the Inland Empire, driven by escapees from the California coast

1. Green Bay The Packers may provide name recognition to this Wisconsin city, but locals swear to the quality of life, a diversified economy, and a hardworking, skilled labor force.

It lacks the population-driven growth of Sunbelt cities such as Las Vegas or Atlanta, but it is an excellent place to start and expand a business.

2. Madison Cold weather didn't stop Wisconsin from packing a one-two punch among midsize cities. Madison is peculiarly well suited for the service-driven economic expansion. As state capital and locale of one of the region's top universities, its population is exceptionally well educated.

3. Sarasota This may well be Florida's "next big thing," an affordable coastal region that attracts many skilled, middle-class emigrants from the north. A sizable tech work force has made this among the fastest-growing areas for information-based industries. And there's always the beach.

4. Fresno California's economy is driven by real estate affordability and population growth, but here it's particularly spurred on by Latino and Asian immigration. A key issue, as in other growth centers, will be creating a bigger high-end service, manufacturing, and information sector.

5. Bakersfield Like Fresno, but with perhaps stronger prospects. Sprawl has made the old Merle Haggard Okie capital a distant suburb of pricey Los Angeles, and people actually commute over the mountains. A good choice for firms seeking to expand close to southern California, without the price tag.

6. Reno, Nevada

7. Albuquerque, New Mexico

8. Tucson, Arizona

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