Best Cities to Start a Business in Ohio

Once again, ranking in the top ten in the Kauffman Index of Main Street Entrepreneurship amongst larger states in 2016, a measure of small business activity in a state, Ohio is rapidly garnering a reputation as an excellent state in which to start a business.

With a combination of low costs to start a business and high access to investment capital, the state presents entrepreneurs with a favorable climate to realize their potential. Adding to the incentive is Ohio’s effective tax rate on new investment, which at 4.4%, is the third lowest in the United States.

Traditionally known as one of the U.S.’s giants of heavy industry, Ohio’s economy has expanded and diversified, boasting significant telecommunications, healthcare, and information technology sectors.

Its startup scene is on the rise, as well. Budding tech entrepreneurs emerging from some of the nation’s best universities, including Ohio State University and Miami University of Ohio, have access to investment funds from players in Ohio’s traditional industries, leading to a well-balanced ecosystem.

Only cities with over 50,000 inhabitants are reported in the results. Some data had to be interpolated to the county level and extrapolated to all the cities in the county. We concentrated on the following metrics to obtain our ranking: Cost of living, Best state for business, Unemployment, Kauffman index, and Universities.