http://promo.realestate.yahoo.com/best-places-for-business-and-careers.html
What city is worth the high cost of living?
Companies in the U.S. are facing myriad challenges, from the credit crunch to soaring commodity prices to corporate tax rates that are behind only Japan’s among developed countries. What is a chief executive to do? Head south.
In Pictures: Best Places For Business and Careers
In our 10th annual ranking of the Best Places for Business and Careers, the Southeast is home to half of the top 10 for a third straight year. But there is new blood near the top, including Lexington, Ky., Atlanta, Ga., and Richmond, Va. (, Wash., and Fort Collins, Colo., also made big jumps).
Common themes for the business-welcoming metros include solid job growth, an educated labor supply and low business costs. Interestingly, six of the 10 metro areas are anchored by capital cities; maybe lobbyist spending boosts an economy.
Topping the list for a second straight year is Raleigh, N.C. Business costs are 14% below the national average, and the area boasts one of the most educated labor supplies in the country, with 38% of the adult population possessing a college degree and 12% holding a graduate degree. Raleigh’s secret is out, though, as people have been flocking to the area.
Net migration has averaged 25,000 annually in recent years, or 2.4% of the population, seventh highest in the country. The influx of talented young people is good news for big employers in the area like Cisco Systems, GlaxoSmithKline and SAS Institute.
One metro that made a big jump was Atlanta, which improved to sixth from 25th last year. Its ranking benefited from strong job and income growth and a big reduction in crime. “Hotlanta” features a diverse economy and pro-business environment. Another built-in advantage for big employers like AT&T, Home Depot and IBM is Hartsfield-Jackson, the busiest passenger airport in the world.
Another newcomer to the top 10 is Fort Collins. With a metro area population of 282,000, it is one of the smaller places on our list. Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University, which is the area’s largest employer and a big reason why 40% of residents have a college degree, the sixth highest rate in the country. Fort Collins also benefits from strong income growth and business costs well below other Colorado locales like Boulder and Denver.
Our rankings cover the 200 largest metro areas (populations over 240,000) as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and are based on nine factors. West Chester, Pa.-based economic research company Economy.com, owned by Moody’s, supplied data on five-year historical job and income growth as well as migration trends. We also incorporated Economy.com’s business cost index, which looks at labor, tax, energy and office space costs and its living cost index, which factors in housing, transportation, food and other household expenditures.
The rest of the data for the rankings was furnished by Portland, Ore., demographer Bertrand Sperling, who last year published the second edition of Cities Ranked & Rated along with Peter Sander. He provided stats on crime, educational attainment, presence of four-year colleges and an index on cultural and recreational opportunities.
#1 Raleigh NC
Metro Area Population: 1,034,000
Colleges:1 90
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 16
Cost Of Living:3119
Crime Rate Rank:4 55
Culture & Leisure:5 103
Educational Attainment:6 11
Income Growth: 178
Job Growth: 21
Net Migration : 7
#2 Boise ID
Metro Area Population: 585,000
Colleges:1 90
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 17
Cost Of Living:3110
Crime Rate Rank:4 43
Culture & Leisure:5 169
Educational Attainment:6 87
Income Growth: 30
Job Growth: 13
Net Migration : 15
#3 Fort Collins CO
Metro Area Population: 281,000
Colleges:1 155
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 60
Cost Of Living:369
Crime Rate Rank:4 57
Culture & Leisure:5 116
Educational Attainment:6 6
Income Growth: 7
Job Growth: 80
Net Migration : 62
#4 Des Moines IA
Metro Area Population: 543,000
Colleges:1 86
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 49
Cost Of Living:346
Crime Rate Rank:4 117
Culture & Leisure:5 129
Educational Attainment:6 44
Income Growth: 45
Job Growth: 60
Net Migration : 51
#5 Lexington KY
Metro Area Population: 443,000
Colleges:1 43
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 40
Cost Of Living:341
Crime Rate Rank:4 95
Culture & Leisure:5 156
Educational Attainment:6 37
Income Growth: 125
Job Growth: 110
Net Migration : 67
#6 Atlanta GA
Metro Area Population: 5,266,000
Colleges:1 9
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 114
Cost Of Living:3113
Crime Rate Rank:4 111
Culture & Leisure:5 51
Educational Attainment:6 34
Income Growth: 89
Job Growth: 69
Net Migration : 26
#7 Richmond VA
Metro Area Population: 1,211,000
Colleges:1 65
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 46
Cost Of Living:3115
Crime Rate Rank:4 60
Culture & Leisure:5 94
Educational Attainment:6 62
Income Growth: 103
Job Growth: 75
Net Migration : 44
#8 Olympia WA
Metro Area Population: 240,000
Colleges:1 169
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 100
Cost Of Living:3120
Crime Rate Rank:4 71
Culture & Leisure:5 61
Educational Attainment:6 41
Income Growth: 21
Job Growth: 22
Net Migration : 24
#9 WA
Metro Area Population: 452,000
Colleges:1 90
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 35
Cost Of Living:386
Crime Rate Rank:4 125
Culture & Leisure:5 167
Educational Attainment:6 85
Income Growth: 22
Job Growth: 36
Net Migration : 58
#10 Knoxville TN
Metro Area Population: 673,000
Colleges:1 108
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 19
Cost Of Living:380
Crime Rate Rank:4 103
Culture & Leisure:5 74
Educational Attainment:6 95
Income Growth: 94
Job Growth: 84
Net Migration : 48
#11 Provo UT
Metro Area Population: 483,000
Colleges:1 130
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 75
Cost Of Living:360
Crime Rate Rank:4 24
Culture & Leisure:5 89
Educational Attainment:6 30
Income Growth: 110
Job Growth: 8
Net Migration : 142
#13 Albuquerque NM
Metro Area Population: 833,000
Colleges:1 104
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 34
Cost Of Living:385
Crime Rate Rank:4 184
Culture & Leisure:5 93
Educational Attainment:6 55
Income Growth: 116
Job Growth: 47
Net Migration : 32
#14 Indianapolis IN
Metro Area Population: 1,688,000
Colleges:1 48
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 71
Cost Of Living:342
Crime Rate Rank:4 137
Culture & Leisure:5 65
Educational Attainment:6 64
Income Growth: 112
Job Growth: 95
Net Migration : 79
#15 Nashville TN
Metro Area Population: 1,470,000
Colleges:1 38
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 42
Cost Of Living:3108
Crime Rate Rank:4 135
Culture & Leisure:5 88
Educational Attainment:6 79
Income Growth: 141
Job Growth: 45
Net Migration : 45
#16 Colorado Springs CO
Metro Area Population: 608,000
Colleges:1 57
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 89
Cost Of Living:395
Crime Rate Rank:4 109
Culture & Leisure:5 117
Educational Attainment:6 25
Income Growth: 29
Job Growth: 115
Net Migration : 86
#18 Lincoln NE
Metro Area Population: 288,000
Colleges:1 143
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 21
Cost Of Living:320
Crime Rate Rank:4 166
Culture & Leisure:5 132
Educational Attainment:6 24
Income Growth: 75
Job Growth: 132
Net Migration : 107
#19 Springfield MO
Metro Area Population: 410,000
Colleges:1 46
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 10
Cost Of Living:348
Crime Rate Rank:4 153
Culture & Leisure:5 186
Educational Attainment:6 140
Income Growth: 120
Job Growth: 41
Net Migration : 39
#20 Seattle WA
Metro Area Population: 2,545,000
Colleges:1 27
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 158
Cost Of Living:3173
Crime Rate Rank:4 175
Culture & Leisure:5 4
Educational Attainment:6 15
Income Growth: 5
Job Growth: 61
Net Migration : 66
#21 Mercer County NJ
Metro Area Population: 370,000
Colleges:1 78
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 160
Cost Of Living:3159
Crime Rate Rank:4 27
Culture & Leisure:5 42
Educational Attainment:6 18
Income Growth: 3
Job Growth: 42
Net Migration : 128
#22 Naples FL
Metro Area Population: 320,000
Colleges:1 178
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 103
Cost Of Living:3193
Crime Rate Rank:4 16
Culture & Leisure:5 107
Educational Attainment:6 49
Income Growth: 61
Job Growth: 5
Net Migration : 11
#25 Washington DC-Northern VA
Metro Area Population: 4,191,000
Colleges:1 5
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 181
Cost Of Living:3179
Crime Rate Rank:4 68
Culture & Leisure:5 14
Educational Attainment:6 7
Income Growth: 56
Job Growth: 39
Net Migration : 115
#26 Asheville NC
Metro Area Population: 404,000
Colleges:1 82
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 2
Cost Of Living:394
Crime Rate Rank:4 53
Culture & Leisure:5 136
Educational Attainment:6 125
Income Growth: 159
Job Growth: 91
Net Migration : 27
#27 Gainesville FL
Metro Area Population: 247,000
Colleges:1 144
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 62
Cost Of Living:3105
Crime Rate Rank:4 182
Culture & Leisure:5 158
Educational Attainment:6 13
Income Growth: 47
Job Growth: 73
Net Migration : 77
#28 Virginia Beach VA
Metro Area Population: 1,660,000
Colleges:1 54
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 29
Cost Of Living:3104
Crime Rate Rank:4 81
Culture & Leisure:5 40
Educational Attainment:6 111
Income Growth: 65
Job Growth: 100
Net Migration : 148
#29 Madison WI
Metro Area Population: 549,000
Colleges:1 130
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 131
Cost Of Living:3100
Crime Rate Rank:4 45
Culture & Leisure:5 125
Educational Attainment:6 12
Income Growth: 18
Job Growth: 96
Net Migration : 90
#30 Allentown PA
Metro Area Population: 811,000
Colleges:1 41
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 64
Cost Of Living:3133
Crime Rate Rank:4 38
Culture & Leisure:5 105
Educational Attainment:6 131
Income Growth: 87
Job Growth: 85
Net Migration : 40
#31 Denver CO
Metro Area Population: 2,454,000
Colleges:1 14
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 129
Cost Of Living:3124
Crime Rate Rank:4 101
Culture & Leisure:5 37
Educational Attainment:6 20
Income Growth: 86
Job Growth: 113
Net Migration : 83
#32 Little Rock AR
Metro Area Population: 660,000
Colleges:1 57
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 31
Cost Of Living:358
Crime Rate Rank:4 197
Culture & Leisure:5 126
Educational Attainment:6 104
Income Growth: 81
Job Growth: 72
Net Migration : 76
#33 Houston TX
Metro Area Population: 5,682,000
Colleges:1 17
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 122
Cost Of Living:3125
Crime Rate Rank:4 142
Culture & Leisure:5 29
Educational Attainment:6 69
Income Growth: 135
Job Growth: 46
Net Migration : 36
#34 Omaha NE
Metro Area Population: 838,000
Colleges:1 54
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 78
Cost Of Living:340
Crime Rate Rank:4 121
Culture & Leisure:5 101
Educational Attainment:6 57
Income Growth: 145
Job Growth: 109
Net Migration : 73
#35 Portland OR
Metro Area Population: 2,173,000
Colleges:1 12
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 134
Cost Of Living:3138
Crime Rate Rank:4 91
Culture & Leisure:5 52
Educational Attainment:6 52
Income Growth: 100
Job Growth: 55
Net Migration : 53
#36 Eugene OR
Metro Area Population: 341,000
Colleges:1 164
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 22
Cost Of Living:397
Crime Rate Rank:4 138
Culture & Leisure:5 87
Educational Attainment:6 81
Income Growth: 62
Job Growth: 78
Net Migration : 64
#37 Charlotte NC
Metro Area Population: 1,633,000
Colleges:1 54
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 57
Cost Of Living:3103
Crime Rate Rank:4 188
Culture & Leisure:5 108
Educational Attainment:6 51
Income Growth: 190
Job Growth: 53
Net Migration : 16
#38 Wilmington NC
Metro Area Population: 335,000
Colleges:1 155
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 3
Cost Of Living:3116
Crime Rate Rank:4 165
Culture & Leisure:5 153
Educational Attainment:6 107
Income Growth: 143
Job Growth: 12
Net Migration : 6
#39 San Antonio TX
Metro Area Population: 1,989,000
Colleges:1 74
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 15
Cost Of Living:382
Crime Rate Rank:4 183
Culture & Leisure:5 122
Educational Attainment:6 120
Income Growth: 154
Job Growth: 49
Net Migration : 31
#40 Lake County IL
Metro Area Population: 885,000
Colleges:1 65
Cost of Doing Business Rank:2 138
Cost Of Living:3160
Crime Rate Rank:4 9
Culture & Leisure:5 30
Educational Attainment:6 21
Income Growth: 105
Job Growth: 120
Net Migration : 94
Место где я работаю аж на 40 месте… :zastrelitsya: Пора собирать чемоданы… :crazy_pilot: