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Ann Arbor ranked 42nd!
March 27, 2008
Fortune Small Business (FSB) scoured the country for towns that
combine a great business environment with alluring leisure
offerings. They looked at economic conditions such as local
taxes rates alongside natural beauty - and easy access to museums,
hungry gamefish, and more. Who won the top rankings? Where did Ann
Arbor rank?
| 1 |
Bellevue, WA |
111,608 |
| 2 |
Georgetown, TX |
37,963 |
| 3 |
Buford, GA |
13,576 |
| 4 |
Marina del Rey, CA |
8,891 |
| 5 |
Bethesda, MD |
59,475 |
| 6 |
Portland, OR |
535,421 |
| 7 |
Denver, CO |
555,932 |
| 8 |
Charlotte, NC |
596,123 |
| 9 |
Fort Worth, TX |
595,062 |
| 10 |
Franklin, MA |
29,642 |
| 11 |
American Canyon, CA |
12,484 |
| 12 |
Durham, NC |
204,135 |
| 13 |
Manchester, NH |
113,417 |
| 14 |
Virginia Beach, VA |
445,875 |
| 15 |
Salt Lake City, UT |
184,550 |
| 16 |
Novato, CA |
48,410 |
| 17 |
Santa Fe, NM |
65,433 |
| 18 |
Charlottesville, VA |
40,877 |
| 19 |
Boise, ID |
203,649 |
| 20 |
Raleigh, NC |
316,978 |
| 21 |
Iowa City, IA |
64,933 |
| 22 |
Omaha, NE |
399,820 |
| 23 |
Minneapolis, MN |
374,956 |
| 24 |
Fargo, ND |
96,029 |
| 25 |
Scottsdale, AZ |
232,929 |
| 26 |
Louisville, CO |
19,402 |
| 27 |
Bellingham, WA |
73,357 |
| 28 |
Colorado Springs, CO |
396,436 |
| 29 |
Naperville, IL |
149,600 |
| 30 |
Lyndhurst, NJ |
19,699 |
| 31 |
Leesburg, VA |
46,645 |
| 32 |
Carlsbad, CA |
90,536 |
| 33 |
Hamden, CT |
59,329 |
| 34 |
San Antonio, TX |
1,251,086 |
| 35 |
Cambridge, MA |
102,158 |
| 36 |
Stafford, TX |
25,607 |
| 37 |
Radnor Township, PA |
31,675 |
| 38 |
Worcester, MA |
179,719 |
| 39 |
Fort Collins, CO |
127,443 |
| 40 |
Olympia, WA |
46,605 |
| 41 |
Asheville, NC |
69,447 |
| 42 |
Ann Arbor, MI |
119,016 |
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Ann Arbor:
The "college town" image is embraced in Ann Arbor, where the
University of Michigan is considered by business leaders and
entrepreneurs to be the engine of the city. Though located in an
area suffering what's been called a "one-state depression," the
educated workers and steady stream of startups coming from UM have
helped Ann Arbor weather Michigan's economic decline.
The city's strong suit is its high-tech industry, which
receives significant support from a private-public partnership
called Ann Arbor Spark. A statewide Pre-Seed Capital Fund targets
tech companies in four fields: advanced automotive, manufacturing,
and materials; alternative energy; homeland security and defense;
and life sciences. The fund invests up to $250,000 in promising
ventures (which are required to match the fund's cash with their
own) and takes an equity stake in return; the goal is to give
promising ventures the cash needed to advance beyond the
development stage.
Taxes are a bit of a sore spot throughout Michigan, but state
officials aim to be responsive to business needs. A 'single
business tax' (SBT) that behaved like a payroll tax did not sit
well with the business community; as a result, it was repealed and
replaced at the start of 2008 by the Michigan Business Tax. The new
tax, based on business income and gross receipts, offers a number
of credits to help companies reduce their tax bite.
The cost of living in Ann Arbor is high for the region, but
in return the city offers a number of attractive amenities for
residents, including a vibrant arts scene, award-winning
restaurants, easy access to Northern Michigan's freshwater lakes,
and highly ranked college sports teams. -Brandi Stewart
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