Need a place to launch your start-up dreams? You may want to head an hour south of Atlanta.
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The city of LaGrange in Troup County was recently recognized as one of the top small cities in the country to start a business by personal finance site WalletHub.
For the company's "2018 Best & Worst Small Cities to Start a Business" ranking, analysts compared 1,261 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents across three key dimensions: business environment, access to resources and business costs.
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Researchers evaluated the three dimension using 18 relevant metrics, such as average commute time, startups per capita, average revenue, job growth and labor costs.
Of the small cities on the list, Holland, Michigan earned top honors followed by St. George, Utah. Utah had six cities in the top 20 overall.
LaGrange, home to a population of approximately 31,000, came in at No. 18, ranking 64th in business costs, 165th in access to resources and 614th in business environment.
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The top 20 small cities to start a business, according to WalletHub:
1. Holland, Michigan
2. St. George, Utah
3. Aberdeen, South Dakota
4. Wilson, North Carolina
5. Cheyenne, Wyoming
6. Clearfield, Utah
7. Ogden, Utah
8. Bismarck, North Dakota
9. Bozeman, Montana
10. Fort Myers, Florida
11. Enid, Oklahoma
12. Bountiful, Utah
13. Salisbury, North Carolina
14. Springville, Utah
15. Sanford, North Carolina
16. Brighton, New York
17. Shawnee, Oklahoma
18. LaGrange
19. Midvale, Utah
20. Bowling Green, Kentucky
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Though LaGrange was the only Georgia city to make the top 20, other Georgia cities were recognized in WalletHub’s research.
Statesboro ranked fourth for lowest labor costs and Warner Robins tied for first for highest average growth in number of small businesses.
How did your small Georgia city rank?
LaGrange: 18
Statesboro: 23
Gainesville: 50
Warner Robins: 117
Tucker: 133
East Point: 141
Valdosta: 144
Newnan: 148
Alpharetta: 190
Kennesaw: 237
Rome: 314
Duluth: 362
Smyrna: 367
Marietta: 368
Lawrenceville: 369
Stockbridge: 372
Sandy Springs: 383
Douglasville: 404
Roswell: 457
Dalton: 493
Mableton: 517
Albany: 536
Milton: 564
Peachtree City: 616
Evans: 679
Hinesville: 709
Martinez: 836
Johns Creek: 937
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