Ranking It
Texas dominates new list of best cities to start a business
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Texas. Six Lone Star towns, including Alamo City, land on CNBC's first-ever report on America's Best Places to Start a Business.
To determine the rankings, CNBC pulled data on cities with populations over 500,000 in categories such as business costs, quality of life, and small-company success. San Antonio takes the No. 10 spot.
One of the biggest draws for San Antonio is affordability. "The cost of living is well below the national average, and the median price for a single-family home, at $195,500, is well below the national median. Better still, the market is healthy and growing — prices are up nearly 6 percent from the same time last year," writes CNBC.
Decent tax rates, high educational attainment, and a low unemployment rate contributed to San Antonio's high ranking. CNBC also gives props to the city's growing information technology sector, which pumps $10 billion into the local economy each year.
At the top of the list is Austin, which has the highest rate of new entrepreneurs in the nation. Other Texas towns in the top 20 include Houston (No. 6), Dallas (No. 8), McAllen (No. 12), and El Paso (No. 16).
Provo, Utah, ranks second, and Washington ranks third.