Forbes Names Best Places in America to Work

Raleigh, North Carolina. IMG: via Shutterstock

There are a plethora of lists naming the best places to live in America, visit in America, eat in America, and even sleep in America. These lists are often lighthearted and interesting, but aren’t particularly meaningful. Forbes took a different approach to this kind of “Best of…” compilation and recently released its 16^th annual list of the best cities for business and careers in America, providing valuable information about where the best places to work in America are. Forbes factored business costs, college educated populations, migration to the city and business development in its findings.

It looks like Raleigh, North Carolina is blowing away its competition, taking the top spot after coming in third last year (although it’s worth mentioning that Raleigh sat in the top four other times in the past seven years). Raleigh boasts business costs that are 18% below the national average and 42% of its workforce have at least a bachelor’s degree. The North Carolina city is home to good schools and is currently the sixth fastest growing city in the nation.

Low regulation is another factor that brought Raleigh back up top, as it is one of the easiest cities in the country for small businesses to prosper. The projected annual job growth rate through 2016 is 3.7%, ranking Raleigh seventh best among the 200 largest metro areas in the U.S.

Last year’s top city, Des Moines, Iowa, fell to number two but is still a prize for business owners. The financial services hub has business costs falling 17% below the national average, along with living costs sitting 6% below the national average. According to Moody’s Analytics, the city’s $38 billion economy is projected to grow at a 4% annual rate over the next three years.

The following cities make up the top ten best places for business and careers:

1. Raleigh, North Carolina

2. Des Moines, Iowa

3. Provo, Utah

4. Denver, Colorado

5. Fort Collins, Colorado

6. Lincoln, Nebraska

7. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

8. Salt Lake City, Utah

9. Seattle, Washington

10. Nashville, Tennessee