Ratings and Rankings - Doing Business
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In recent years, Greater St. Louis has earned national recognition as having a favorable business climate with a competitive cost of doing business and a highly skilled work force. See how the business environment in Greater St. Louis recently has been recognized: Cost of Doing Business - St. Louis ranks as the 7th most cost-competitive location to do business among 20 U.S. metros with populations exceeding two million, according to a study by KPMG LLP. KPMG's Competitive Alternatives study, released on March 27, 2008, measured the combined impact of location-sensitive business-operating costs, such as labor, facility, transportation and utility costs, as well as income taxes.
- Forbes magazine ranked St. Louis No. 76 in its ranking of "Best Places for Business and Careers" for lowest cost of doing business among the 200 largest metro areas in March 2009, ahead of such cities as Tampa, Milwaukee, and Denver.
Business Opportunity Metro - The St. Louis region was designated as a "Five Star Business Opportunity Metro" by Expansion Management and Logistics Today magazine in the August 2007 issue. St. Louis ranked No. 23 out of the nation's 362 metropolitan areas and reflects the comparative strength of St. Louis in a number of major categories such as public education, health care cost and availability, quality of life and logistics infrastructure.
- Forbes magazine named St. Louis among its "Best Places For Business and Career" list, ranking St. Louis 86 out of 200 U.S. cities. The rankings, which appeared in the March 25, 2009 issue, are based on business cost, job growth, college degrees, and population.
- The Dow Jones Market Watch named the St. Louis metro area the 19th "Best City for Business" for 2007. The list was compiled after ranking the nation's 50 biggest cities by number of started, grown, and retained businesses and after interviewing business leaders from each of the cities.
- Forbes ranked St. Louis as one of the "Best Cities for Jobs" in the nation in 2008, naming the St. Louis, MO-IL MSA as No. 57 out of 100.
Logistics - The state of Missouri ranked the best state in the country for manufacturing and logistics, according to two reports released July 29, 2008 by Ball State University's Bureau of Business Research. The state earned high marks in research and development, relatively low long-term health care costs and health insurance premiums, and lower corporate and property taxes.
- St. Louis was named as a "Five-Star Logistics Metro" by Expansion Management magazine, October 2007. The region placed in the 99th percentile, which is the highest possible rating. Expansion Management also ranked St. Louis as having the 5th "Best Interstate Highway Connectivity" and the 5th "Best Railroad Service."
Productivity - According to the 2002 Economic Census, manufacturing workers in St. Louis produce 27 percent more output than the U.S. average. This survey is published in December every five years.
Work Force - The St. Louis region was ranked as having the 8th fastest area job growth in high-technology industries, according to a June 2008 report released by the American Electronics Association. St. Louis' 52,800 high-tech jobs ranked as the 26th-largest among the 60 U.S. cities included in the report.
- Expansion Management magazine named St. Louis as a "Five-Star Knowledge Worker Metro" in the March/April 2007 issue. The study compared college-educated workforce availability across the U.S. and awarded the top 20 percent with this distinction.
- The percentage of St. Louisans aged 25 or older with bachelor’s degrees or higher — more than 28 percent — exceeds the national average, according to the American Community Survey 2007. This same survey found that among St. Louis area residents 25 or older, 10 percent have graduate or professional degrees, exceeding the U.S. average.
Investment St. Louis ranked No. 3 in Site Selection magazine's Top Metropolitan Areas of 2007 in its March 2008 issue. Top metros were identified by the number of successful projects and investment to the region. Chicago, IL and Cleveland, OH took the top two spots.
Taxes & Incentives - Missourians and Illinoisans enjoy a low tax burden as compared to U.S. averages. Missouri ranks as the 47th lowest and Illinois ranks as the 32nd lowest, according to the Census Bureau's 2007 ranking of state tax burden per capita.
Small-Business Vitality - St. Louis ranks No. 19 in the country on MarketWatch's Top 50 "Best U.S. Cities for Business," published September 21, 2007. Populations of 1 million or more were ranked according to per-capita lists, small businesses, unemployment, population growth, and job growth.
Launching a Business - Lemay, Missouri, located in St. Louis County, ranked as one of the top "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" by Fortune Small Business for 2008, based on the best mix of business advantages and lifestyle appeal.
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