Best Metros
| Rank |
Metro Area |
Cost Of Doing Business (Rank)1 |
Job Growth Projected2 |
Educational Attainment (Rank)3 |
Metro Area Population (thou) |
| 1 |
Des Moines IA |
49 |
10 |
46 |
563 |
| 2 |
Provo UT |
20 |
39 |
38 |
556 |
| 3 |
Raleigh NC |
22 |
14 |
12 |
1,126 |
| 4 |
Fort Collins CO |
34 |
21 |
11 |
298 |
| 5 |
Lincoln NE |
14 |
72 |
30 |
298 |
| 6 |
Denver CO |
113 |
49 |
22 |
2,552 |
| 7 |
Omaha NE |
48 |
54 |
56 |
850 |
| 8 |
Huntsville AL |
112 |
2 |
37 |
406 |
| 9 |
Lexington KY |
25 |
32 |
39 |
471 |
| 10 |
Austin TX |
160 |
12 |
19 |
1,705 |
| 11 |
Ogden UT |
30 |
105 |
100 |
542 |
| 12 |
Colorado Springs CO |
90 |
50 |
29 |
626 |
| 13 |
Cedar Rapids IA |
44 |
1 |
118 |
256 |
| 14 |
Boulder CO |
136 |
17 |
1 |
303 |
| 15 |
Fayetteville AR |
22 |
35 |
133 |
465 |
| 16 |
San Antonio TX |
11 |
9 |
137 |
2,072 |
| 17 |
Charlotte NC |
42 |
31 |
53 |
1,746 |
| 18 |
Seattle WA |
158 |
83 |
14 |
2,611 |
| 19 |
Portland OR |
106 |
104 |
43 |
2,242 |
| 20 |
Salt Lake City UT |
62 |
70 |
70 |
1,130 |
| 21 |
Asheville NC |
10 |
114 |
87 |
413 |
| 22 |
St. Louis MO |
40 |
41 |
82 |
2,853 |
| 23 |
Durham NC |
107 |
84 |
10 |
501 |
| 24 |
Columbus OH |
77 |
55 |
48 |
1,802 |
| 25 |
Boise ID |
8 |
107 |
96 |
606 |
| 26 |
Dallas TX |
159 |
19 |
60 |
4,326 |
| 27 |
Atlanta GA |
99 |
161 |
33 |
5,475 |
| 28 |
Lynchburg VA |
42 |
174 |
160 |
247 |
| 29 |
Greeley CO |
47 |
178 |
99 |
255 |
| 30 |
Washington DC-Northern VA |
195 |
80 |
6 |
4,277 |
| 31 |
Nashville TN |
50 |
67 |
78 |
1,582 |
| 32 |
Wilmington NC |
13 |
79 |
72 |
355 |
| 33 |
Houston TX |
160 |
16 |
89 |
5,867 |
| 34 |
Fort Worth-Arlington TX |
107 |
11 |
115 |
2,121 |
| 35 |
Cambridge MA |
197 |
126 |
4 |
1,505 |
| 36 |
Eugene OR |
7 |
75 |
103 |
351 |
| 37 |
Kansas City MO |
95 |
68 |
54 |
2,068 |
| 38 |
San Francisco CA |
198 |
110 |
5 |
1,785 |
| 39 |
Roanoke VA |
61 |
90 |
140 |
300 |
| 40 |
Oklahoma City OK |
16 |
197 |
113 |
1,227 |
| 41 |
Albuquerque NM |
35 |
7 |
82 |
858 |
| 42 |
Springfield MO |
14 |
97 |
124 |
431 |
| 43 |
Gainesville FL |
80 |
24 |
8 |
261 |
| 44 |
Anchorage AK |
123 |
63 |
68 |
375 |
| 45 |
Virginia Beach VA |
70 |
94 |
100 |
1,675 |
| 46 |
Rockingham County NH |
176 |
65 |
27 |
423 |
| 47 |
Indianapolis IN |
53 |
128 |
55 |
1,744 |
| 48 |
San Jose CA |
196 |
96 |
8 |
1,840 |
| 49 |
Little Rock AR |
38 |
22 |
122 |
685 |
| 50 |
Richmond VA |
123 |
129 |
66 |
1,238 |
Best Smaller Metros
| Rank |
Metro Area |
Cost Of Doing Business (Rank)1 |
Job Growth Projected (Rank)2 |
Educational Attainment (Rank)3 |
Metro Area Population (thou) |
| 1 |
Des Moines IA |
49 |
10 |
46 |
563 |
| 2 |
Provo UT |
20 |
39 |
38 |
556 |
| 3 |
Raleigh NC |
22 |
14 |
12 |
1,126 |
| 4 |
Fort Collins CO |
34 |
21 |
11 |
298 |
| 5 |
Lincoln NE |
14 |
72 |
30 |
298 |
| 6 |
Denver CO |
113 |
49 |
22 |
2,552 |
| 7 |
Omaha NE |
48 |
54 |
56 |
850 |
| 8 |
Huntsville AL |
112 |
2 |
37 |
406 |
| 9 |
Lexington KY |
25 |
32 |
39 |
471 |
| 10 |
Austin TX |
160 |
12 |
19 |
1,705 |
| 11 |
Ogden UT |
30 |
105 |
100 |
542 |
| 12 |
Colorado Springs CO |
90 |
50 |
29 |
626 |
| 13 |
Cedar Rapids IA |
44 |
1 |
118 |
256 |
| 14 |
Boulder CO |
136 |
17 |
1 |
303 |
| 15 |
Fayetteville AR |
22 |
35 |
133 |
465 |
| 16 |
San Antonio TX |
11 |
9 |
137 |
2,072 |
| 17 |
Charlotte NC |
42 |
31 |
53 |
1,746 |
| 18 |
Seattle WA |
158 |
83 |
14 |
2,611 |
| 19 |
Portland OR |
106 |
104 |
43 |
2,242 |
| 20 |
Salt Lake City UT |
62 |
70 |
70 |
1,130 |
| 21 |
Asheville NC |
10 |
114 |
87 |
413 |
| 22 |
St. Louis MO |
40 |
41 |
82 |
2,853 |
| 23 |
Durham NC |
107 |
84 |
10 |
501 |
| 24 |
Columbus OH |
77 |
55 |
48 |
1,802 |
| 25 |
Boise ID |
8 |
107 |
96 |
606 |
| 26 |
Dallas TX |
159 |
19 |
60 |
4,326 |
| 27 |
Atlanta GA |
99 |
161 |
33 |
5,475 |
| 28 |
Lynchburg VA |
42 |
174 |
160 |
247 |
| 29 |
Greeley CO |
47 |
178 |
99 |
255 |
| 30 |
Washington DC-Northern VA |
195 |
80 |
6 |
4,277 |
| 31 |
Nashville TN |
50 |
67 |
78 |
1,582 |
| 32 |
Wilmington NC |
13 |
79 |
72 |
355 |
| 33 |
Houston TX |
160 |
16 |
89 |
5,867 |
| 34 |
Fort Worth-Arlington TX |
107 |
11 |
115 |
2,121 |
| 35 |
Cambridge MA |
197 |
126 |
4 |
1,505 |
| 36 |
Eugene OR |
7 |
75 |
103 |
351 |
| 37 |
Kansas City MO |
95 |
68 |
54 |
2,068 |
| 38 |
San Francisco CA |
198 |
110 |
5 |
1,785 |
| 39 |
Roanoke VA |
61 |
90 |
140 |
300 |
| 40 |
Oklahoma City OK |
16 |
197 |
113 |
1,227 |
| 41 |
Albuquerque NM |
35 |
7 |
82 |
858 |
| 42 |
Springfield MO |
14 |
97 |
124 |
431 |
| 43 |
Gainesville FL |
80 |
24 |
8 |
261 |
| 44 |
Anchorage AK |
123 |
63 |
68 |
375 |
| 45 |
Virginia Beach VA |
70 |
94 |
100 |
1,675 |
| 46 |
Rockingham County NH |
176 |
65 |
27 |
423 |
| 47 |
Indianapolis IN |
53 |
128 |
55 |
1,744 |
| 48 |
San Jose CA |
196 |
96 |
8 |
1,840 |
| 49 |
Little Rock AR |
38 |
22 |
122 |
685 |
| 50 |
Richmond VA |
123 |
129 |
66 |
1,238 |
|