Hot Cities

Best Bets for small-business growth

1. Charlotte/Gastonia/Rock Hill, NC/SC (5*)

2. Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Newport News, VA/NC (13)

3. Memphis, TN/AR/MS (11)

4. Cincinnati, OH/KY/IN (21)

5. Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC (1)

*overall ranking

Best Bets for entrepreneurial activity

1. Monmouth/Ocean, NJ (35*)

2. Las Vegas, NV/AZ (18)

2. Salt Lake City/Ogden, UT (10)

4. Orlando, FL (3)

5. Austin/San Marcos, TX (14)

5. San Antonio, TX (9)

*overall ranking

Best Bets for lowest relative costs

1. San Antonio, TX (9*)

2. Oklahoma City, OK (36)

2. Fort Worth/Arlington, TX (15)

4. New Orleans, LA (24)

5. Houston, TX (20)

5. Memphis, TN/AR/MS (11)

5. Salt Lake City/Ogden, UT (10)

5. Indianapolis, IN (6)

*overall ranking

Best Bets for lowest relative costs

1. San Antonio, TX (9*)

2. Oklahoma City, OK (36)

2. Fort Worth/Arlington, TX (15)

4. New Orleans, LA (24)

5. Houston, TX (20)

5. Memphis, TN/AR/MS (11)

5. Salt Lake City/Ogden, UT (10)

5. Indianapolis, IN (6)

*overall ranking

Best Bets for economic growth

1. New York, NY (41*)

1. Las Vegas, NV/AZ (18)

3. Phoenix/Mesa, AZ (16)

4. San Jose, CA (31)

5. Orlando, FL (3)

5. Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC (1)

*overall ranking

Best Bets Cities with the lowest failure rates

1. New Orleans, LA (24*)

2. Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, NC (7)

3. Washington, DC/MD/VA/WV (32)

4. Fort Lauderdale, FL (12)

5. Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC (1)

*overall ranking

Research by Steve Hess, Courtney Shipman, Doina Rares and Mike Azzi at Dun & Bradstreet, and Liza Potter, research editor at Entrepreneur magazine; text by Debra Phillips, Cynthia E. Griffin, Elaine W. Teague, G. David Doran and Laura Tiffany.

Contact Sources

Barinas Translation Consultants Inc., (210) 545-0019, http://www.barinas.com

Hunterdon Brewing Co., (908) 832-0646, fax: (908) 832-0767

In Celebration of Golf, (602) 951-4444, http://www.celebrategolf.com

Innetix, (888) 256-3931, http://www.innetix.com

River City Security Services Inc., (904) 346-0488, fax: (904) 346-0854

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This article was originally published in the October 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Hot Cities.