Report: Missouri boasts three, top-20 startup cities
May 2, 2016 | Bobby Burch
Kansas City is a top-20 destination to start a business, according to a recent WalletHub report.
A study released Monday by the personal finance website ranked the City of Fountains as the No. 16 best city to launch a business.
WalletHub compared the relative startup opportunities in the 150 most populated U.S. cities., looking at metrics such as five-year survival rate, office-space affordability, educational attainment of the local labor force and more.
Kansas City, Mo., received high marks for its business startup costs, earning a No. 16 ranking. Show Me State neighbor St. Louis ranked as the No. 5 best city to start a business, while Springfield, Mo. earned a No. 8 ranking.
The ranking comes about a week after Overland Park was named No. 20 on WalletHub’s best cities for Hispanic entrepreneurs list. In February, WalletHub ranked Kansas City as the No. 7 best U.S. city for women-owned businesses.
Here are WalletHub’s top 10 best cities to start a business:
- Sioux Falls, SD
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Lincoln, NE
- St. Louis, MO
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Charlotte, NC
- Springfield, MO
- Tulsa, OK
- Amarillo, TX
Featured Business

2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Why a City Market favorite is jumping the state line — to the food court at Oak Park Mall
Its Brazilian dishes — using recipes the owners grew up eating in São Paulo — have been a City Market draw for more than a decade. Now Taste of Brazil restaurant is expanding to Johnson County, but as a quick-serve kiosk with a limited menu. Taste of Brazil Express plans a late September opening in…
Spiced side hustle gives this Kansas culinary teacher a kick (and a growing market)
Richard Wilks is bringing heat to Kansas’ food scene. A chef and community-builder at heart, Wilks created Burro, a line of chili and garlic crunch oils, sauces, and seasonings designed to fuel real connection around the table. His growing lineup can be spotted at the Overland Park Farmers Market, where loyal customers keep coming back…
Animal health innovators: Building on a new frontier means do-overs, even when you got it right first
Kansas City-based ELIAS Animal Health earned full USDA approval for its bone cancer therapy for dogs earlier this year, but the road to commercialization has been long and anything but straight, Tammie Wahaus shared. The veteran CEO shared her story of pivots — including switching from human health to animal health and adapting to ever-changing…
Development leaders laud HQ expansion for organization that opens workforce to Kansas Citians with autism
A new multimillion-dollar, 80,000-square-foot headquarters along Kansas City’s Brush Creek marks a major milestone for Behavioral Health Allies, strengthening the organization’s workforce training efforts and its belief in the potential for individuals with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, officials said Wednesday. “This expansion is exactly the kind of investment Kansas City needs,” said Tracey…
