Several small Utah cities named best in country for starting businesses

Apr 22, 2024, 7:52 AM

Cedar City Historic Downtown sign is pictured in Cedar City on Wednesday April 7, 2021. (FILE- Deseret News)

(FILE- Deseret News)

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SALT LAKE CITY— A new report ranks several Utah cities in a list of best small cities to start a business in the U.S.

WalletHub analyzed more than 1,300 small cities, with a population between 25,000 and 100,000 people, around the country, and compiled a list of their top 30 best cities to start a business.

The report based the rankings on a number of factors, including the city’s recent rate of small business growth, commute times, average business revenue, office space costs, working-age population growth and the cost of living.

Utah claimed the city ranked number one in the entire country: Cedar City.

Cedar City got the top rank thanks to short commute times (13 minutes on average), a strong rate in recent small business growth as well as a strong job and working-age population growth.

Pulling in right behind it at number two: St. George. The city got high marks for short commute times (a 16-minute average) and for having office space 1/6 the cost of what’s charged in the nation’s most expensive city, Cupertino, California.

Utah claimed 10 of the top 30 cities to start a small business. Those include:

1. Cedar City

2. St. George

4. Washington City

8. Lehi

12. Eagle Mountain

14. Midvale

15. American Fork

19. Springville

26. Spanish Fork

28. Orem

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Several small Utah cities named best in country for starting businesses

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