Best Places to Live and Launch

FORTUNE Small Business (FSB) named West Des Moines in the Top 100 Places to Live and Launch a Small Business in a 2008 issue of CNN Money. To compile this list, FSB searched the nation for towns that "combine a great business environment with alluring leisure offerings."

With the help of ONBoard, a data-collection agency in New York City, and Bert Sperling, author of Cities Ranked and Rated, FSB ranked 296 Census-designated metro areas by "business friendliness" and "lifestyle offerings." Factors in the metro area rankings include tax rates, job growth, the number of airline flight connections nearby, the number of parks and arts venues nearby, health infrastructure, and climate. Based on strong population growth, low crime rates, and reasonable housing costs, they chose the town within each of the top 100 metro areas that "best blends business and pleasure." Interviews with local entrepreneurs, city officials, and business experts confirmed which towns had the strongest small business programs and best leisure resources within their metro areas.

I'm thrilled that our ongoing focus on economic development and small business, coupled with our excellent parks programs, leisure activities, and proximity to the ever-improving entertainment options in the metro area have put us on this list.

Iowa had three cities on the list: West Des Moines, Ames, and Iowa City--tying it with Minnesota for the most cities ranked in the Midwest. This is demonstrative of the headway Iowa metro areas are making in appealing to business interests and providing a desirable quality of life. This is a great accolade for Iowa and for our metro area.