What Are The Top Cities For Small Business? (PHOTOS)

According to recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, almost 98 percent of the nation's businesses are small businesses, defined as having fewer than 100 employees. But of the 938 metropolitan and micropolitan areas it surveyed in 2009 -- the most recent year for which statistics are available -- only 11 areas boast more than 100,000 small businesses.

The Business Journals recently compiled a database of these Census numbers of small businesses and microbusinesses (those with fewer than 10 employees) per city, and ranked the top U.S. metropolitan areas in order of number of small businesses, with additional data on the number of microbusinesses and percentages of each.

Here are the top 11 cities with more than 100,000 small businesses:

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Comments

[LivingDebtFree]

04:31 PM on 11/09/2011

Go Dallas!!!!

[fugmo]

04:04 PM on 11/09/2011

Shouldn't this be small businesses per capita? The ranking is simply the rank of population.

[dmsdzinr]

01:56 PM on 11/09/2011

These are ALL cities with the Highest Cost of Living in America.

[reddy52]

02:41 PM on 11/09/2011

No wonder.

[CAhye]

01:33 PM on 11/09/2011

its much easier to make it in the city, in times of economic struggle people run to the big cities as small cities get crushed.

[Nate80]

01:53 PM on 11/09/2011

Only cities with over 100,000 small businesses were ranked for some reason. There are only 11 cities that qualify. It's pretty much just a ranking of population (NY, LA, Chicago...).

[frank day]

02:21 PM on 11/09/2011

Yes, I thought the same.

[czs5056]

01:20 PM on 11/09/2011

I am offended that they cannot get their Geography right. There is no part of PA within New York, Northern New Jersey and Long Island. And there is no part of MD in Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington.

[Deep77]

01:44 PM on 11/09/2011

The Philadelphia Metropolitan Area does include Cecil County, Maryland. The New York Metropolitan Area does include Pike County, Pennsylvania.

[czs5056]

05:17 PM on 11/09/2011

then they should say the metro area and not just the cities' name

[malbrite10]

01:48 PM on 11/09/2011

Are you being serious? These are the official names of the metropolitan areas in question. I live in the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area...and no, St. Louis is not in Illinois. The region covers two states (MO and IL) and is included in the MSA name. Good thing I think you're being cheeky, anyway, but there you have it just in case.

[czs5056]

05:18 PM on 11/09/2011

then say the metro area

[Kache]

01:15 PM on 11/09/2011

The high percentage of micro-businesses is surprising. A major reason for Brazil's success the last ten years in moving millions out of poverty into the middle class and cutting the gap between the bottom 90% and top 10% in half was the success at moving micro-businesses up to small-business size. Special banks were setup to identify and finance successful micros with market and management abilities for growth. Many regulations and expenses for such things as unemployment compensation, workman's compensation, social security contributions, etc were reduced or streamlined for micro and the next tier, mini (10-50 employees) businesses, . It took a two year effort, supported by big business, just to write effective legislation for the campaign to get it's footing. This rung on the ladder in the economy needs the same attention here. It is the most difficult rung for a growing business. If only 10% of micro-businesses could increase employment by 5 employees, we would not have an unemployment problem.

[apollok]

01:14 PM on 11/09/2011

not sure what to make of that list. it seemingly goes by the nation's largest metro areas in order.

while it's nice to see the top 3 in reliably blue states, they're also the 3 largest cities and metro ares in the u.s.

[malbrite10]

01:47 PM on 11/09/2011

Exactly. Why not show this list on a per capita basis?

[heymack]

01:56 PM on 11/09/2011

Why is it "nice to see that they are blue states"?  That is a dumb comment.

[frank day]

02:25 PM on 11/09/2011

Because it proves once again that Democrats are better for business.

[apollok]

02:57 PM on 11/09/2011

thanks for your input! your time and consideration are *really* appreciated!

[dlg569]

12:59 PM on 11/09/2011

That picture of Philadelphia is almost 20 years old. Update please.

[heartlandmamma]

12:43 PM on 11/09/2011

All Democratic majority cities with the exception of Dallas I believe.

[Nate80]

01:17 PM on 11/09/2011

Maybe because most big cities are democrat controlled perhaps?

[LivingDebtFree]

04:31 PM on 11/09/2011

Dallas is a Democratic majority city.

[CabCurious]

12:33 PM on 11/09/2011

One amazing thing about NYC is you still have local, family owned businesses rather than just big chains and malls. In fact, many of the national chains can't even make it in NYC.

I have probably 3 small, family-owned hardware stores within a few blocks.

[luvbrothel]

01:02 PM on 11/09/2011

Unfortunately, San Francisco is starting to lose its focus on small locally owned businesses and is beginning to erode that commitment. Two new Target stores are being built in The City, which is going to siphon off tons of business from the surrounding stores.

Sad.

[CabCurious]

01:08 PM on 11/09/2011

I don't mind Targets finding a niche, as long as it's a niche.

[reddy52]

02:55 PM on 11/09/2011

Maybe it's sad for the small business owners but the people living there will appreciate the better stores.

[TaxpayingVoter]

12:29 PM on 11/09/2011

I knew there wouldn't be any cities in MY state on there. My state is hostile to almost any business unless it's connected to the right wing extremist political machine.

[Kalie]

08:47 PM on 11/12/2011

That's too bad. The GOP/Cain motto is: Im rich and if you are not, then you are a lazy slug.

[Harry Bush]

12:20 PM on 11/09/2011

And wouldn't you know it, it's not per capita. Not fair.

[CabCurious]

12:33 PM on 11/09/2011

"Percentage of All Businesses"

[Nate80]

01:47 PM on 11/09/2011

"cities with more than 100,000 small businesses:" If you click on the link you will see that only 11 cities qualify to be ranked. Is it really surprising that the largest cities have the most small businesses?

[Cacey]

09:09 PM on 11/08/2011

All these Democratic cities with all their Regulations. Who would have thought?

[CAhye]

12:20 PM on 11/09/2011

big cities, big populations, easier to make it. the smaller cities got crushed in the economic downturn.

[CabCurious]

12:40 PM on 11/09/2011

Right, it's SO easy to survive and make it in NYC during economic downturns!

I doubt you can even find a Wallmart in NYC.

No, these cities have public infrastructures. They have strong business supports and traditions of supporting the small family-owned places down the street.

Whereas other cities, suburbs, and smaller cities have leadership who keep building malls with chain stores... while the family businesses die.

Places like NYC have maintained the economic dynamics that made this nation great in the first place, whereas middle-America is being sold out to mega-multinational corporations and banks.

[CabCurious]

12:33 PM on 11/09/2011

:)