We're No. 58...out of 179 best small cities for business, careers
April 3, 2008
Abilene is one of the nation's best small cities for business and careers, a Forbes magazine special report recently concluded.
The city was ranked 58 out of 179 small metropolitan areas, one of 4 Texas cities to crack the top 100. Only College Station -- at No. 49 -- ranked higher.
Forbes based its listing on a number of criteria, including the cost of doing business in the city and several quality of life indicators.
Forbes considered data from Sperling's Best Places, a book and Web site that ranks cities by their livability, and combined it with Moody's Economy.com data about the city's economic growth. Abilene's highest ranking of the 9 criteria, at No. 38, was the low cost of doing business.
Within Texas, every major metro area, including Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Houston, made the Top 100 in Forbes' best places for business and careers.
City leaders said the ranking was a "wonderful accolade" that will likely become a selling point to attract industries and new residents to migrate to the area.
Among smaller Texas cities, Texarkana was ranked No. 77, while Midland earned spot No. 82. Nearby, San Angelo was ranked No. 176, and Wichita Falls was No. 177.
