Communities rank among ‘Best Places to Start a Business in Michigan’

Communities rank among ‘Best Places to Start a Business in Michigan’

Grand Haven is one of 18 Michigan communities that are part of the Michigan Main Street Program to increase local economic development. Courtesy Grand Haven MSDDA

Several communities in the region rank among the top-20 places to start a business in the state.

In the ranking of the “Best Places to Start a Business in Michigan” posted by NerdWallet last month, Marshall, east of Battle Creek, ranks No. 7, St. Joseph ranks No. 9, Grand Haven ranks No. 18 and Walker ranks No. 19.

Many of the communities at the top of the ranking are in southeast Michigan.

The ranking is based on U.S. Census Bureau data on 128 Michigan communities with more than 5,000 people and a number of factors: business climate or average revenue of businesses, percentage of businesses with paid employees and businesses per 100 people; and local economic health or median annual income, median monthly housing costs and unemployment rate.

Top 10

1.   Auburn Hills
2.   Traverse City
3.   Plymouth
4.   Troy
5.   Iron Mountain
6.   Petoskey
7.   Marshall
8.   Wixom
9.   St. Joseph
10. Ishpeming

West Michigan communities

7.   Marshall
9.   St. Joseph
18. Grand Haven
19. Walker
23. Greenville
29. Grandville
47. Hudsonville
52. Battle Creek
54. Holland
59. Big Rapids
73. Kentwood
86. Wyoming
88. Kalamazoo
89. Ludington
93. Grand Rapids
96. Muskegon
98. East Grand Rapids