Lee County Tops for Young Entrepreneurs

It’s no secret that Lee County is a great place to live and work, but now the area is getting some additional recognition when it comes to young professionals. The area of Cape Coral/Fort Myers was just ranked as the fifth best location for young entrepreneurs. Designated by a MoneyRates survey, the location is highly desirable based on things like a growing population, well-educated residents, affluence among the young adult population and the business tax environment, specifically the tax burden imposed upon new business owners. According to MoneyRates, the State of Florida maintains an overall favorable tax environment, ranked by the Tax Foundation as fourth best in the country. According to MoneyRates, Lee County, specifically, ranks high based on being the country’s fifth fastest-growing area. It’s also only about 80 miles to the south of Bradenton, joining North Port and Sarasota for the very top spot in the survey. The area ranks high too in young adult affluence, as well as places in the top ten for all categories under consideration. Other Florida communities cracking the list of the top 10 include The Villages, Punta Gorda, Sebastian/Vero Beach and the area of Orlando/Sanford/Kissimmee. The high ranking for Lee County should come as no surprise to those who live here. According to a separate study, this one by the American City Business Journals, the Cape Coral/Fort Myers metropolitan area is number three when it comes to best small-business vitality, behind only Austin and Miami. The region ranked high in categories including a growth in the number of small businesses and a rising population. It also takes into account projections of budding entrepreneurs, positive key economic indicators and a strong concentration of small businesses in the area. In fact, the report notes the area boasts more than 16,000 small businesses, with warmer regions, such as Florida, showing more promise for entrepreneurs.