South Carolina Ranks as #5th Best States to Start a Small Business in 2024 (North Carolina #3)

Lendio revealed the results of a study ranking the best states for small businesses. Florida came in as the number one state to start a business with Texas and North Carolina coming in second and third.

The rankings were based on an analysis of 10 metrics from government and nonprofit sources and Lendio’s internal data including startup survival rates, access to business financing, favorable tax environments, and cost of living.

Colorado, South Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Massachusetts, Utah, and Oklahoma also made the top 10 list. While the states that made the top 10 stayed the same from Lendio’s 2023 analysis, there were some shifts in the line-up including Florida edging out Texas for the top spot.

Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Nebraska ranked as the bottom three states, due to low business funding and venture capital availability, limited local incentive programs, high tax rates, and high cost of living. 

“Small businesses are a critical part of our economy, but they’ve faced unprecedented challenges in the past five years from a global pandemic to high interest rates,” said Brock Blake, CEO and Co-Founder of Lendio. “Despite these challenges, small business owners continue to fight for their dreams and start new businesses in record-breaking numbers. States that create a favorable business environment will benefit from the influx of small businesses opened in the past year.”

States with the highest ranking by individual metrics include:

• 5-year survival rate: Minnesota
• SBA loans approved/100K Population: Utah
• Loan offers received through Lendio’s marketplace/100K population: Wyoming
• Venture capital/$1 million GDP: Massachusetts
• Lowest corporate tax rate: Arkansas
• Most business incentives: Maryland
• Greatest population gains: Florida
• Most educated workforce mobility/100K population: Colorado
• Lowest housing costs: West Virginia
• Greatest personal consumption expenditures: California

Top 10 best states to start a small business

10. Oklahoma (Previously 7)

This state boasts some of the most favorable local incentives in the country for business owners, with 84 inventive programs in total. Housing prices and cost of living are lower, compared to other states. Combined with a low, 4% corporate income tax rate, this creates an environment many entrepreneurs will find attractive. On the flip side, businesses in Oklahoma have lower-than-average access to capital and have seen a decline in educated workers moving to that state.

9. Utah (Previously 10)

Businesses in the state of Utah have exceptional access to capital. Utah is approved for the highest number of SBA loans per 100,000 population in the U.S. It also had $10,000 in VC funding per $1 million GDP, ranking No.10 in the U.S. in 2023. The state also has a lower corporate tax rate of 5% and offers 34 tax incentives to small businesses. The reason Utah did not rank higher on our list is that it has become an increasingly popular destination, and as a result, housing costs have increased significantly.

8. Massachusetts (Previously 4)

It’s no wonder tech-savvy Massachusetts gets the most amount of venture capital disbursed per $1 million of GDP, ranking No. 1 in the U.S. The state offers 73 different incentives for business owners. Massachusetts businesses also have one of the highest five-year survival rates of 57%. On the flip side, it has one of the highest median housing values in the U.S., and it is seeing more people leaving (57,000)—rather than moving to—the Bay State.

7. Georgia (Previously 9)

Georgia is also a great place for businesses, as it is within the top states with the most small business loans approved—over 30 small business loans per 100,000 residents through Lendio’s marketplace. Georgia has seen an influx of 81,406 people move in, making it the sixth-best state in this crucial category. Although the housing prices remain reasonable, Georgia has the second-highest growth in cost of living. 

6. Ohio (Previously 3)

Ohio has no corporate income tax rate. Even with the state’s gross receipt tax rate, which is not strictly comparable to the corporate income tax rate, it’s still considered a low-tax state. Ohio is also among the top states that have small business loans approved per 100k residents. With very low housing costs and good local incentive programs for businesses, Ohio is a good place for small businesses to settle. 

5. South Carolina (Previously 8)

Half of all startups in the Palmetto State have survived at least five years, and the state government offers 77 different incentives for small business owners—only three states offer more incentives than South Carolina. The state has a low 5% corporate income tax rate. In addition, housing prices and cost of living are among the lowest of all states, and 84,030 people moved in in 2022, making it the 4th-hottest place to relocate. 

4. Colorado (Previously 6)

If you are in Colorado, you may have a good chance to land a small business loan. Colorado ranks No. 7 in the U.S. for issuance of small business loans, with 27 small business loans per 100,000 residents. It also has the 7th highest amount of venture capital per $1 million GDP. With 55,768 educated workers moving here and a 4% corporate income tax rate, business owners can find a good place to start a small business. 

3. North Carolina (Previously 5)

North Carolina has been a hot place for in-migration, with 99,796 people relocating there in 2022 (the 3rd highest in the U.S.). Businesses here have an above-average, five-year survival rate. The state also has a low corporate tax rate of 2.5% and above-average access to business loans. With low housing costs, business owners find it an attractive location to start and run a small business. 

2. Texas (Previously 1)

Texas ranks as the second-best state for small businesses. While Texans receive a lower amount of SBA loan approvals/100K residents than other states, they were the 7th highest state for loans offered through Lendio’s marketplace. Of all businesses started in 2017 in the state, more than half survived five years of operations, outlasting those in many other states. According to Census Bureau data, over 400,000 people with at least some college education moved into Texas in 2022, making it a prime location for educated entrepreneurs to spread their wings. Beyond just workers, Texas has become one of the most popular places for Americans to relocate—thanks, in part, to its lack of a state income tax.

1. Florida (Previously 2)

Florida is the best state to start a business due to a low corporate tax rate (5.5%) and the mass migration of consumers and companies to the state. The Sunshine State sees more than half of its startup businesses survive for at least five years. It’s also a top recipient of SBA loan dollars (12th compared to other states) and ranked 2nd for the number of loan offers facilitated through Lendio’s marketplace.

See the full report for a breakdown of each state and the methodology behind the rankings.

About Lendio

Lendio is transforming small business lending by connecting small businesses, lenders, and small business service providers through a single integrated technology platform. Lendio provides purpose-built software that automates small business loan decisioning and underwriting for both banks and digital lenders, uses AI to match small businesses to the financing offers that best meet their needs, and embeds a full small business loan marketplace directly within small business service providers’ platforms – all of which work together to get small businesses access to the capital they need to be successful.

Related: From Market to Storefront:  The Evolution of a Charleston Small Business Owner

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