20. Salt Lake City, UT

20 Best Places For Business And Careers

Metro Area Population: 1,130,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank1: 62

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 14

Educational Attainment Rank: 70

Income Growth Rank: 5

Job Growth Projected Rank:13

Net Migration Rank: 90

(Getty Images)

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Best Places for ... Forbes' 12th annual ranking of the Best Places for Business and Careers looks at the 200 largest metro areas, which range in size from the New York City metro with 11.7 million people to Merced, Calif., which is home to 245,000. We ranked areas on 12 metrics including costs (business and living), job growth (past and projected), income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth. We also factored in quality of life issues like crime, cultural and recreational opportunities as well as net migration patters. Lastly we examined the percentage of subprime mortgages handed out over a three-year stretch and the number of highly ranked four-year colleges in the area. -- Kurt Badenhausen

(iStock Photo)
20. Salt Lake Ci... Metro Area Population: 1,130,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank1: 62

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 14

Educational Attainment Rank: 70

Income Growth Rank: 5

Job Growth Projected Rank:13

Net Migration Rank: 90

(Getty Images)
19. Portland, OR Metro Area Population: 2,242,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 106

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 199

Educational Attainment Rank: 43

Income Growth Rank: 19

Job Growth Projected Rank: 62

Net Migration Rank: 41

(Russell Illiq/Getty Images)
18. Seattle, WA Metro Area Population: 2,611,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank1: 158

Economic Growth Projected Rank2: 11

Educational Attainment Rank3: 14

Income Growth Rank*: 98

Job Growth Projected Rank2: 33

Net Migration Rank*: 65

(Connie Coleman/Getty Images)
17. Charlotte, N... Metro Area Population: 1,746,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank1: 42

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 36

Educational Attainment Rank: 53

Income Growth Rank: 195

Job Growth Projected Rank: 43

Net Migration Rank: 7

(Shutterstock)
16. San Antonio,... Metro Area Population: 2,072,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank1: 11

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 38

Educational Attainment Rank: 137

Income Growth Rank: 104

Job Growth Projected Rank: 6

Net Migration Rank: 23

(Getty Images)
15. Fayetteville... Metro Area Population: 465,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank1: 22

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 57

Educational Attainment Rank: 133

Income Growth Rank: 108

Job Growth Projected Rank: 15

Net Migration Rank: 15

(iStock Photo)
14. Boulder, CO Metro Area Population: 303,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank1: 136

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 29

Educational Attainment Rank: 1

Income Growth Rank: 7

Job Growth Projected Rank: 66

Net Migration Rank*: 96

(Mark Lewis/Getty Images)
13. Cedar Rapids... Metro Area Population: 256,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 44

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 1

Educational Attainment Rank: 118

Income Growth Rank: 82

Job Growth Projected Rank: 37

Net Migration Rank: 95

(Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Center)
12. Colorado Spr... Metro Area Population: 626,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 90

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 71

Educational Attainment Rank: 29

Income Growth Rank: 15

Job Growth Projected Rank: 110

Net Migration Rank: 73

(iStock Photo)
11. Ogden, UT Metro Area Population: 542,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 30

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 13

Educational Attainment Rank: 100

Income Growth Rank: 12

Job Growth Projected Rank: 45

Net Migration Rank: 63

(iStock Photo)
10. Austin, TX Metro Area Population: 1,705,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 160

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 2

Educational Attainment Rank: 19

Income Growth Rank: 100

Job Growth Projected Rank: 2

Net Migration Rank: 6

(Photo: Walter Bibikow/Getty Images)
9. Lexington, KY Metro Area Population: 471,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 25

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 139

Educational Attainment Rank: 39

Income Growth Rank: 110

Job Growth Projected Rank: 93

Net Migration Rank: 59

(iStock Photo)
8. Huntsville, A... Metro Area Population: 406,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 112

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 3

Educational Attainment Rank: 37

Income Growth Rank: 72

Job Growth Projected Ran2: 18

Net Migration Rank: 16

(AP Photo)
7. Omaha, NE Metro Area Population: 850,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 48

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 128

Educational Attainment Rank: 56

Income Growth Rank: 46

Job Growth Projected Rank: 54

Net Migration Rank: 104

(Shutterstock)
6. Denver, CO Metro Area Population: 2,552,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 113

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 85

Educational Attainment Rank: 22

Income Growth Rank: 62

Job Growth Projected Rank: 64

Net Migration Rank: 54

(Getty Images)
5. Lincoln, NE Metro Area Population: 298,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 14

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 95

Educational Attainment Rank: 30

Income Growth Rank: 36

Job Growth Projected Rank: 60

Net Migration Rank: 97

(iStock Photo)
4. Fort Collins,... Metro Area Population: 298,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 34

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 37

Educational Attainment Rank: 11

Income Growth Rank: 42

Job Growth Projected Rank: 51

Net Migration Rank: 37

(Shutterstock)
3. Raleigh, NC Metro Area Population: 1,126,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 22

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 24

Educational Attainment Rank: 12

Income Growth Rank: 179

Job Growth Projected Rank: 5

Net Migration Rank: 3

(Photo: Don Klumpp/Getty Images)
2. Provo, UT Metro Area Population: 556,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 20

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 21

Educational Attainment Rank: 38

Income Growth Rank: 1

Job Growth Projected Rank: 10

Net Migration Rank: 39
1. Des Moines, I... Metro Area Population: 563,000

Cost of Doing Business Rank Rank: 49

Economic Growth Projected Rank: 53

Educational Attainment Rank: 46

Income Growth Rank: 54

Job Growth Projected Rank: 29

Net Migration Rank: 45

(iStock Photo)
Small Places for... Click here to see the best small places for business and career.