CRESTVIEW — Financial research company ValuePenguin’s Best Cities for Small Business listing ranks the Crestview, Destin and Fort Walton Beach area 28th out of 200 cities.
The report contained 11 data points, including tax rates and indexes to employment, along with access to loan brokers and offices, to highlight the country's best cities for small business owners and workers.
Here's how the Crestview metro ranked:
•Overall — 28th
•Taxes — 75th
•Economy — 53rd
•Business Community — 38th
Additionally, the organization provided the following data pertaining to Crestview, Fort Walton Beach and Destin:
- Average state plus local tax rate: 6.7 percent
- Small business tax index: 22.195
- 2017 state business tax climate index: 6.86
- Unemployment rate: 4.3 percent
- Median household income: $53,488
- Forbes' Best States for Business: 12th
- Cost of living index: 100
- Population 25 and older with at least a bachelor's degree: 17.8 percent
- Number of small business association offices and resources: 71
- Number of mortgage and non-mortgage loan brokers: 3
- Number of corporate subsidiary and regional managing offices: 20
ValuePenguin focused on areas of data that would help a small business be sustainable, but also flourish based on the economic traits of the city.
See https://www.valuepenguin.com/best-cities-small-business for the full report.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview metro among 'Best Cities for Small Business'