Best Large Cities to Start a Business

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Americans are born with an entrepreneurial streak. It’s in our DNA. From the Gold Rush to the Industrial Revolution to the Internet Age, intense periods of innovation have molded our economy and sparked important societal advancements. That said, now is one of the toughest times ever for business owners in the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made 61 million small-business owners regret starting a business, according to a recent WalletHub survey.

Conditions in the U.S. are improving as people get vaccinated and states reopen, though. In order to help aspiring entrepreneurs — from restaurant owners to high-tech movers and shakers — maximize their chances for long-term prosperity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, WalletHub compared the relative startup opportunities that exist in 100 U.S. cities. We did so using 21 key metrics, ranging from the five-year business-survival rate to COVID-19 cases to office-space affordability.

For a breakdown of smaller markets, check out WalletHub’s Best Small Cities to Start a Business ranking.

Main Findings

Best Places to Start a Business

Overall Rank  City Total Score  Business Environment  Access to Resources  Business Costs 
1 Laredo, TX 64.97 13 10 43
2 Durham, NC 63.95 31 14 18
3 Lubbock, TX 63.79 25 5 55
4 Orlando, FL 63.58 24 27 16
5 Boise, ID 63.37 3 66 45
6 Charlotte, NC 62.63 17 43 29
7 Raleigh, NC 62.59 38 11 32
8 Austin, TX 62.45 2 9 83
9 Fort Worth, TX 62.10 4 19 71
10 Tampa, FL 61.78 44 23 19
11 Atlanta, GA 61.74 32 26 30
12 St. Petersburg, FL 61.19 39 53 17
13 Reno, NV 60.80 16 44 54
14 Dallas, TX 60.78 5 42 70
15 Winston-Salem, NC 60.65 41 80 1
16 Colorado Springs, CO 60.64 51 28 24
17 Jacksonville, FL 60.63 26 79 9
18 Kansas City, MO 60.34 46 63 10
19 Nashville, TN 60.28 23 39 51
20 Irvine, CA 59.45 6 1 97
21 Denver, CO 59.15 43 17 58
22 Irving, TX 59.03 9 41 77
23 Arlington, TX 58.94 20 46 68
24 Miami, FL 58.74 52 34 31
25 Phoenix, AZ 58.43 29 68 44
26 Long Beach, CA 58.33 14 32 82
27 Fresno, CA 58.29 47 56 35
28 New Orleans, LA 58.15 54 22 41
29 Honolulu, HI 58.09 60 2 76
30 Oakland, CA 58.02 8 7 92
31 Madison, WI 57.97 67 4 57
32 Stockton, CA 57.88 57 21 48
33 Scottsdale, AZ 57.84 7 60 80
34 Indianapolis, IN 57.83 56 73 8
35 Los Angeles, CA 57.75
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