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Ranking Category

Best Cities for Startups

Top startup ecosystems by business climate, talent, and growth.

An exceptional startup ecosystem demands more than a good idea — it needs access to venture capital, a collaborative founder community, and a local economy eager to adopt new technology. Our startup index tracks venture funding rounds, the presence of incubators and accelerators, university research partnerships, and the general cost of doing business.

Dallas, Texas Michael Barera (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #1 Best City 85

Dallas

Texas, USA

SafetyC+
CostC+
Growth85
Avg. Rent$1,412
Median Income$70,518
Cost of Living101/100
View Analytical Data
Austin, Texas Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #2 Best City 72

Austin

Texas, USA

SafetyF
CostC+
Growth80
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$93,658
Cost of Living101/100
View Analytical Data
Huntsville, Alabama American Diabetio (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #3 Best City 72

Huntsville

Alabama, USA

SafetyF
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,522
Median Income$74,714
Cost of Living95/100
View Analytical Data
Sioux Falls #4 Best City 78

Sioux Falls

South Dakota, USA

SafetyB+
CostB
Growth78
Avg. Rent$1,327
Median Income$75,970
Cost of Living88/100
View Analytical Data
Miami, Florida Averette (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #5 Best City 78

Miami

Florida, USA

SafetyB-
CostC-
Growth85
Avg. Rent$2,247
Median Income$62,462
Cost of Living120/100
View Analytical Data
Nashville, Tennessee Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #6 Best City 73

Nashville

Tennessee, USA

SafetyC-
CostB-
Growth79
Avg. Rent$2,200
Median Income$77,371
Cost of Living98/100
View Analytical Data
Madison, Alabama Republic of Selmaria (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #7 Best City 82

Madison

Alabama, USA

SafetyA
CostB-
Growth85
Avg. Rent$1,358
Median Income$134,655
Cost of Living96/100
View Analytical Data
Homewood, Alabama Sweetmoose6 at English Wikipedia (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons #8 Best City 78

Homewood

Alabama, USA

SafetyB+
CostB
Growth73
Avg. Rent$1,400
Median Income$94,485
Cost of Living92/100
View Analytical Data
Bel Air South #9 Best City 70

Bel Air South

Maryland, USA

SafetyC
CostC-
Growth75
Avg. Rent$2,187
Median Income$123,653
Cost of Living117/100
View Analytical Data
Sitka, Alaska Gillfoto (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #10 Best City 74

Sitka

Alaska, USA

SafetyA
CostD
Growth60
Avg. Rent$1,498
Median Income$101,727
Cost of Living130/100
View Analytical Data
Phoenix #11 Best City 70

Phoenix

Arizona, USA

SafetyC
CostC+
Growth72
Avg. Rent$1,492
Median Income$81,332
Cost of Living105/100
View Analytical Data
Los Angeles, California Gnaphron (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons #12 Best City 68

Los Angeles

California, USA

SafetyC+
CostF
Growth65
Avg. Rent$2,184
Median Income$81,939
Cost of Living149/100
View Analytical Data
Tampa, Florida Clément Bardot (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #13 Best City 72

Tampa

Florida, USA

SafetyD+
CostB-
Growth68
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$84,114
Cost of Living100/100
View Analytical Data
Des Moines, Iowa Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons #14 Best City 72

Des Moines

Iowa, USA

SafetyB
CostB+
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,162
Median Income$47,000
Cost of Living81/100
View Analytical Data
Urbandale #15 Best City 78

Urbandale

Iowa, USA

SafetyA
CostB
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,021
Median Income$112,795
Cost of Living90/100
View Analytical Data
Kansas City #16 Best City 72

Kansas City

Kansas, USA

SafetyC+
CostB
Growth65
Avg. Rent$1,231
Median Income$56,120
Cost of Living89/100
View Analytical Data
Toledo, Ohio Jason Zhang (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #17 Best City 68

Toledo

Ohio, USA

SafetyF
CostB-
Growth60
Avg. Rent$950
Median Income$49,724
Cost of Living95/100
View Analytical Data
Danville #18 Best City 70

Danville

Virginia, USA

SafetyB
CostB
Growth78
Avg. Rent$1,000
Median Income$44,423
Cost of Living87/100
View Analytical Data
Enterprise, Alabama derivative work, Enterprise Hospital.jpg, Coffee County AL, Courthouse.jpg, Enterprise Ala (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #19 Best City 68

Enterprise

Alabama, USA

SafetyF
CostB-
Growth75
Avg. Rent$1,375
Median Income$73,125
Cost of Living95/100
View Analytical Data
Montgomery, Alabama Carol M. Highsmith (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons #20 Best City 64

Montgomery

Alabama, USA

SafetyC
CostB
Growth68
Avg. Rent$1,485
Median Income$56,811
Cost of Living89/100
View Analytical Data
Vestavia Hills, Alabama Sharon Phelan Evans (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #21 Best City 80

Vestavia Hills

Alabama, USA

SafetyA+
CostC-
Growth78
Avg. Rent$1,975
Median Income$134,369
Cost of Living124/100
View Analytical Data
Hoover, Alabama Johntrinh06 (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #22 Best City 78

Hoover

Alabama, USA

SafetyB-
CostB+
Growth72
Avg. Rent$2,175
Median Income$109,253
Cost of Living85/100
View Analytical Data
Owasso, Oklahoma TulGuy (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons #23 Best City 78

Owasso

Oklahoma, USA

SafetyA+
CostB-
Growth72
Avg. Rent$1,214
Median Income$79,036
Cost of Living94/100
View Analytical Data
Cincinnati, Ohio EEJCC (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #24 Best City 70

Cincinnati

Ohio, USA

SafetyB-
CostC+
Growth68
Avg. Rent$1,410
Median Income$52,909
Cost of Living103/100
View Analytical Data
Houston, Texas Katie Haugland Brown (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons #25 Best City 70

Houston

Texas, USA

SafetyC
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$97,458
Cost of Living93/100
View Analytical Data
Smyrna, Delaware Dough4872 (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #26 Best City 68

Smyrna

Delaware, USA

SafetyF
CostB-
Growth75
Avg. Rent$1,750
Median Income$67,048
Cost of Living99/100
View Analytical Data
Indianapolis #27 Best City 68

Indianapolis

Indiana, USA

SafetyD+
CostB
Growth68
Avg. Rent$1,123
Median Income$66,219
Cost of Living90/100
View Analytical Data
Collierville, Tennessee Chase Via (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #28 Best City 72

Collierville

Tennessee, USA

SafetyA
CostC+
Growth60
Avg. Rent$1,696
Median Income$138,598
Cost of Living102/100
View Analytical Data
Tuscaloosa, Alabama RhYno12 (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons #29 Best City 68

Tuscaloosa

Alabama, USA

SafetyC-
CostB
Growth75
Avg. Rent$1,450
Median Income$51,464
Cost of Living87/100
View Analytical Data
Harrisburg #30 Best City 75

Harrisburg

South Dakota, USA

SafetyA
CostC+
Growth90
Avg. Rent$1,265
Median Income$108,724
Cost of Living101/100
View Analytical Data
Bossier City, Louisiana TheLionHasSeen (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #31 Best City 68

Bossier City

Louisiana, USA

SafetyF
CostB-
Growth60
Avg. Rent$964
Median Income$55,819
Cost of Living94/100
View Analytical Data
Gaithersburg, Maryland Illegitimate Barrister Gail Porter - File:NIST AML building.jpg SuperMoving - File:Gaither (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #32 Best City 72

Gaithersburg

Maryland, USA

SafetyB
CostF
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,784
Median Income$112,467
Cost of Living143/100
View Analytical Data
Auburn, Alabama Rivers Langley SaveRivers (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #33 Best City 72

Auburn

Alabama, USA

SafetyA-
CostB-
Growth80
Avg. Rent$2,032
Median Income$63,668
Cost of Living96/100
View Analytical Data
Grand Rapids, Michigan WMrapids (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons #34 Best City 72

Grand Rapids

Michigan, USA

SafetyB-
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,500
Median Income$69,108
Cost of Living95/100
View Analytical Data
Sterling Heights, Michigan Project for Public Sources (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons #35 Best City 78

Sterling Heights

Michigan, USA

SafetyA
CostB-
Growth68
Avg. Rent$870
Median Income$79,909
Cost of Living95/100
View Analytical Data
Omaha, Nebraska Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons #36 Best City 72

Omaha

Nebraska, USA

SafetyB
CostB
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,450
Median Income$73,201
Cost of Living92/100
View Analytical Data
Las Cruces, New Mexico Terry Umbenhaur (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #37 Best City 72

Las Cruces

New Mexico, USA

SafetyC
CostB
Growth75
Avg. Rent$1,068
Median Income$55,422
Cost of Living91/100
View Analytical Data
Syracuse #38 Best City 70

Syracuse

New York, USA

SafetyA+
CostC+
Growth65
Avg. Rent$1,546
Median Income$47,819
Cost of Living103/100
View Analytical Data
Kapolei, Hawaii Travis.Thurston (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons #39 Best City 71

Kapolei

Hawaii, USA

SafetyB+
CostF
Growth75
Avg. Rent$3,420
Median Income$128,324
Cost of Living151/100
View Analytical Data
Juneau, Alaska Ifly6 (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #40 Best City 75

Juneau

Alaska, USA

SafetyB
CostD
Growth65
Avg. Rent$1,860
Median Income$101,661
Cost of Living133/100
View Analytical Data
Olympia, Washington OceanLoop (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #41 Best City 75

Olympia

Washington, USA

SafetyB-
CostC
Growth75
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$81,302
Cost of Living113/100
View Analytical Data
Benton #42 Best City 68

Benton

Arkansas, USA

SafetyC
CostB
Growth75
Avg. Rent$917
Median Income$72,876
Cost of Living92/100
View Analytical Data
Anaheim, California CrispyCream27 (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #43 Best City 68

Anaheim

California, USA

SafetyD
CostF
Growth60
Avg. Rent$2,487
Median Income$95,227
Cost of Living149/100
View Analytical Data
Moreno Valley #44 Best City 68

Moreno Valley

California, USA

SafetyC
CostC-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,881
Median Income$93,222
Cost of Living117/100
View Analytical Data
Mobile, Alabama Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #45 Best City 70

Mobile

Alabama, USA

SafetyF
CostB
Growth80
Avg. Rent$1,132
Median Income$53,558
Cost of Living88/100
View Analytical Data
Bloomington, Illinois Daniel Schwen (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #46 Best City 72

Bloomington

Illinois, USA

SafetyB-
CostB
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,100
Median Income$77,384
Cost of Living89/100
View Analytical Data
Albuquerque, New Mexico Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #47 Best City 72

Albuquerque

New Mexico, USA

SafetyF
CostB-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,178
Median Income$71,494
Cost of Living97/100
View Analytical Data
Tigard, Oregon M.O. Stevens (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons #48 Best City 72

Tigard

Oregon, USA

SafetyC-
CostC-
Growth70
Avg. Rent$1,800
Median Income$108,823
Cost of Living121/100
View Analytical Data
Anchorage, Alaska Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons #49 Best City 70

Anchorage

Alaska, USA

SafetyD
CostC-
Growth60
Avg. Rent$1,583
Median Income$103,284
Cost of Living125/100
View Analytical Data
Grand Blanc #50 Best City 70

Grand Blanc

Michigan, USA

SafetyA
CostB-
Growth60
Avg. Rent$983
Median Income$70,518
Cost of Living95/100
View Analytical Data