GA Town Top Tier For Starting New Businesses, Experts Say

ATLANTA, GA — An entrepreneur may think that establishing a new company is best in the business capital of the U.S., New York City.

Contrastingly, experts at WalletHub say the eighth-best large city to start a business is Atlanta. The Georgia metro beat out Dallas, Texas and 98 other towns on the new ranking released Monday on the personal finance website.

When determining status positions on the recent survey, WalletHub analyzed the five-year business survival rate, labor costs, office space affordability and other metrics.

The top ranking city on the nationwide list was Orlando, a central Florida town with a proven track record of rapid growth among small businesses and an area where startups have a strong survival rate.

"One of the reasons why startups are so prevalent and successful in Orlando is that the city has a very high number of investors per capita, so new businesses are able to get the funding that they need to survive and thrive. Furthermore, although Orlando is known as a retirement haven, it has one of the highest growth rates for the working-age population, so businesses have plenty of potential new employees," WalletHub wrote.

Categorically, Atlanta ranked 14th for business environment, 16th for access to resources and 48th for business costs to receive an overall score of 59.16.

Corporations, such as Delta Air Lines and Coca Cola, have made a home in Atlanta. But, the buzzing town can also be a landing base for new small businesses.

Atlanta thrives in local and landmark businesses, like Mary Mac's Tea Room. Discover Atlanta reported local business ventures include the charcuterie butcher shop The Spotted Trotter, the crafts and vintage gift shop The Collective at Krog Street Market and dessert eatery King of Pops.

Here are the top 10 best large cities for starting a business, per WalletHub:

1. Orlando, Florida
2. Tampa, Florida
3. Austin, Texas
4. Jacksonville, Florida
5. Miami, Florida
6. St. Petersburg, Florida
7. Boise, Idaho
8. Atlanta, Georgia
9. Raleigh, North Carolina
10. Hialeah, Florida

See WalletHub's full survey here.