Best places to work for small biz
A study by WalletHub ranked 100 metro areas by how friendly they are to employees and job seekers. WalletHub's Jill Gonzalez looked at several metrics, including industry variety, earnings and net small business job growth. Check out the top 10 by clicking ahead. (The bottom 10 can be found here.)
10. Boston
This city has a lot of small businesses, about 26 per 1,000 residents. About 49 percent of them provide employees with health care.
9. Houston
Houston ranks for high growth on the number of small businesses at 7.37 percent. It also has the highest monthly earnings for small business employees at $4,620 per month.
8. Dallas
Dallas ranks for high growth on the number of small businesses at 5.79 percent.
7. Salt Lake City
This city is tied for the second lowest unemployment rate, at 3.6 percent. It's also has the fifth highest salary ranking at $63,900 per year.
6. Nashville, Tenn.
Nashville ranks for high monthly earnings for small business employees at around $4,000 per month.
5. Omaha, Neb.
Omaha has the second lowest unemployment rate at just 3.6 percent.
4. Austin, Texas
Austin features the second highest median annual income (adjusted for the cost of living) at around $65,800. It also ranks fourth-highest for projected population growth by 2042.
3. Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City has the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the country at just 3.7 percent.
2. Raleigh, N.C.
Raleigh stands out for its median annual income (adjusted for the cost of living), ranking third at around $65,700. The population is expected to grow by 87 percent by 2042.
1. Charlotte, N.C.
Charlotte's metro area ranked second for growth of small businesses, a 20 percent increase from 2007-2013. Its industry variety ranked third best in the country, so it has opportunities across many interests.