The top 25

Entrepreneur, Oct, 2003

HOW DOES YOUR CITY measure up? Take a look at the ranking (below) to find the best cities for entrepreneurs. Who knows, maybe there's a move in your future.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

For more details, plus the complete results of the rankings for large and midsize cities, visit www.entrepreneur.com/bestcities.

Best Bets for ...

ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY

1. LAS VEGAS, NV/AZ (11 *)

2. ATLANTA, GA (3 *)

3. ORLANDO, FL (10 *)

4. AUSTIN/SAN MARCOS, TX (20 *)

5. PHOENIX/MESA, AZ (13 *)

SMALL-BUSINESS GROWTH

1. LOUISVILLE, KY/IN (15 *)

2. INDIANAPOLIS, IN (44 *)

3. MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN/WI (1 *)

4. SALT LAKE CITY/OGDEN, UT (5 *)

5. KANSAS CITY, MO/KS (30 *)

JOB GROWTH

1. LAS VEGAS, NV/AZ (11 *)

2. WEST PALM BEACH/BOCA RATON, FL (6 *)

3. PHOENIX/MESA, AZ (13 *)

3. RIVERSIDE/SAN BERNARDINO, CA (36 *)

5. PROVIDENCE/FALL RIVER/ WARWICK, RI (27 *)

RISK

1. NASSAU/SUFFOLK, NY (43 *)

2. BERGEN/PASSAIC, NJ (42 *)

3. HARTFORD, CT (55 *)

3. NEW YORK CITY, NY (29 *)

5. WASHINGTON, DC/MD/ VA/WV (2 *)

* overall rank

Top East

1. WASHINGTON, DC/MD/VA/WV (2 *)

2. BALTIMORE, MD (12 *)

3. MONMOUTH/OCEAN, NJ (14 *)

4. BOSTON, MA/NH (23 *)

5. MIDDLESEX/SOMERSET/HUNTERDON, NJ (25 *)

* overall rank

Top Midwest

1. MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN/WI (1 *)

2. LOUISVILLE, KY/IN (15 *)

3. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (22 *)

4. COLUMBUS, OH (30 *)

4. KANSAS CITY, MO/KS (30 *)

* overall rank

Top Southwest

1. PHOENIX/MESA, AZ (13 *)

2. SAN ANTONIO, TX (18 *)

3. AUSTIN/SAN MARCOS, TX (20 *)

4. HOUSTON, TX (21 *)

5. DALLAS, TX (24 *)

* overall rank

Top South

1. ATLANTA, GA (3 *)

2. FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (4 *)

3. WEST PALM BEACH/BOCA RATON, FL (6 *)

4. NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH/ NEWPORT NEWS, VA/NC (7 *)

5. MIAMI, FL (8 *)

* overall rank

Top Mountain

1. SALT LAKE CITY/OGDEN, UT (5 *)

2. DENVER, CO (27 *)

* overall rank

Top West

1. LAS VEGAS, NV/AZ (11 *)

2. SACRAMENTO, CA (16 *)

2. SAN DIEGO, CA (16 *)

4. ORANGE COUNTY, CA (34 *)

5. RIVERSIDE/SAN BERNARDINO, CA (36 *)

* overall rank

FOUR OF A KIND

Four criteria are used to rank the cities: entrepreneurial activity (based on the number of businesses 5 years old or younger), Small-Business Growth (based on the number of businesses with fewer than 20 employees that had significant employment growth from January 2002 to January 2003), Job Growth (change in job growth over a three-year period through January 2003) and Risk, (bankruptcy rates).

--D&B research by Nipa Basu and Henry Lawrence

ABOUT D&B

D&B (NYSE: DNB) provides the information, tools and expertise to help you decide with confidence. D&B Small Business Solutions (SBS) offers a suite of online products designed to help small-business owners better manage their businesses. SBS tools use D&B information to help you find profitable new customers, manage vendors more efficiently, run instant online credit checks, monitor your own business credit, and access valuable industry information. For more information about D&B's SBS products, visit www.dnb.com/ smallbusiness.

2003   METROPOLITAN                     REGION      ENTREPRENEURIAL
RANK   STATISTICAL AREA                                ACTIVITY

 1     MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN/WI      MIDWEST           58
 2     WASHINGTON, DC/MD/VA/WV          EAST              66
 3     ATLANTA, GA                      SOUTH             99
 4     FORT LAUDERDALE, FL              SOUTH             90
 5     SALT LAKE CITY/OGDEN, UT         MOUNTAIN          76
 6     WEST PALM BEACH/BOCA RATON, FL   SOUTH             90
 7     NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH/          SOUTH             69
       NEWPORT NEWS, VA/NC
 8     MIAMI, FL                        SOUTH             77
 9     CHARLOTTE/GASTONIA/ROCK HILL,    SOUTH             71
       NC/SC
 10    ORLANDO, FL                      SOUTH             98
 11    LAS VEGAS, NV/AZ                 WEST             100
 12    BALTIMORE, MD                    EAST              43
 13    PHOENIX/MESA, AZ                 SOUTHWEST         93
 14    MONMOUTH/OCEAN, NJ               EAST              51
 15    LOUISVILLE, KY/IN                MIDWEST           56
 16    SACRAMENTO, CA                   WEST              76
 16    SAN DIEGO, CA                    WEST              80
 18    SAN ANTONIO, TX                  SOUTHWEST         85
 19    JACKSONVILLE, FL                 SOUTH             88
 20    AUSTIN/SAN MARCOS, TX            SOUTHWEST         96
 21    HOUSTON, TX                      SOUTHWEST         81
 22    OKLAHOMA CITY, OK                MIDWEST           50
 23    BOSTON, MA/NH                    EAST              17
 24    DALLAS, TX                       SOUTHWEST         87
 25    MIDDLESEX/SOMERSET/              EAST              53
       HUNTERDON, NJ
 25    TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG/            SOUTH             78
       CLEARWATER, FL

2003   METROPOLITAN                     SMALL-BUSINESS    JOB
RANK   STATISTICAL AREA                     GROWTH       GROWTH

 1     MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN/WI            96           77
 2     WASHINGTON, DC/MD/VA/WV                78           78
 3     ATLANTA, GA                            63           70
 4     FORT LAUDERDALE, FL                    45           95
 5     SALT LAKE CITY/OGDEN, UT               93           82
 6     WEST PALM BEACH/BOCA RATON, FL         27           99
 7     NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH/                79           63
       NEWPORT NEWS, VA/NC
 8     MIAMI, FL                              57           73
 9     CHARLOTTE/GASTONIA/ROCK HILL,          78           61
       NC/SC
 10    ORLANDO, FL                            20           71
 11    LAS VEGAS, NV/AZ                       53          100
 12    BALTIMORE, MD                          82           56
 13    PHOENIX/MESA, AZ                       64           97
 14    MONMOUTH/OCEAN, NJ                     28           94
 15    LOUISVILLE, KY/IN                      99           13
 16    SACRAMENTO, CA                         68           90
 16    SAN DIEGO, CA                          59           79
 18    SAN ANTONIO, TX                        80           68
 19    JACKSONVILLE, FL                       39           67
 20    AUSTIN/SAN MARCOS, TX                  75           61
 21    HOUSTON, TX                            51           67
 22    OKLAHOMA CITY, OK                      90           50
 23    BOSTON, MA/NH                          86           46
 24    DALLAS, TX                             70           28
 25    MIDDLESEX/SOMERSET/                    62           38
       HUNTERDON, NJ
 25    TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG/                  65           83
       CLEARWATER, FL

2003   METROPOLITAN                     RISK   TOTAL   2002
RANK   STATISTICAL AREA                        SCORE   RANK

 1     MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN/WI       93     323     15
 2     WASHINGTON, DC/MD/VA/WV           96     317      1
 3     ATLANTA, GA                       82     313     11
 4     FORT LAUDERDALE, FL               76     307      5
 5     SALT LAKE CITY/OGDEN, UT          53     303     21
 6     WEST PALM BEACH/BOCA RATON, FL    78     293     19
 7     NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH/           78     288     11
       NEWPORT NEWS, VA/NC
 8     MIAMI, FL                         76     281     28
 9     CHARLOTTE/GASTONIA/ROCK HILL,     70     280     25
       NC/SC
 10    ORLANDO, FL                       80     269      5
 11    LAS VEGAS, NV/AZ                  13     266     14
 12    BALTIMORE, MD                     84     265     30
 13    PHOENIX/MESA, AZ                   7     261     29
 14    MONMOUTH/OCEAN, NJ                87     260      9
 15    LOUISVILLE, KY/IN                 90     258     33
 16    SACRAMENTO, CA                    21     256     11
 16    SAN DIEGO, CA                     39     256     24
 18    SAN ANTONIO, TX                   22     255     23
 19    JACKSONVILLE, FL                  59     252     21
 20    AUSTIN/SAN MARCOS, TX             19     251     17
 21    HOUSTON, TX                       44     244      8
 22    OKLAHOMA CITY, OK                 49     239     34
 23    BOSTON, MA/NH                     85     234     35
 24    DALLAS, TX                        48     234      2
 25    MIDDLESEX/SOMERSET/               80     233      4
       HUNTERDON, NJ
 25    TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG/             7      233     40
       CLEARWATER, FL