Florida · best for small business · #19 of 50 states

Best Cities for Small Business in Florida

Florida ranks #19 of 50 for small business, with a small business score of 62.4. Horizon West is its best city for small business at 70.9.

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#1 city in FL for small business

Horizon West70.9

Small Business score out of 100

Florida, all states: #19 of 50
Population: 67,416

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Tax burden

6.49%

% of income

Fiscal health

70/100

GDP + debt + reserves

Pop. growth

+0.85%

Census estimates

Unemployment

3.9%

BLS LAUS

Economy score

45/100

Income + jobs + growth

Florida for Small Business: The Full Picture

Florida ranks #19 out of 50 for small business owners and entrepreneurs, offering a favorable climate for new ventures. The state's fiscal health score of 70/100 signals a well-managed state government with sustainable finances — the kind of stability that benefits long-term business planning.

Tax policy directly impacts the bottom line. Florida's overall tax burden is 6.49% of income, and crucially, there is no state income tax — a major advantage for business owners whose personal and business finances often overlap. The 6.98% combined sales tax rate is moderate and worth factoring into pricing strategy. The economic environment (score: 45/100) with 3.9% unemployment shows healthy labor availability.

Population growth of 0.85% is a tailwind — a growing customer base and expanding labor pool benefit most small businesses. The education system (score: 61/100) produces a reasonably well-prepared workforce. A typical home value of $375,470 is manageable for employees at typical small-business salary levels.

All 80 Cities Ranked for Small Business

# City	Grade	Small Business score	Overall	Household finances	Economy	Growth	Population
1Horizon West	A	70.9	64.0	82	80	—	67,416
2Apopka	B+	65.0	59.4	64	65	93	58,232
3Palm Beach Gardens	A	64.0	64.8	74	70	59	60,959
4North Port	B+	63.1	61.2	65	55	80	84,605
5Weston	B	62.9	58.2	90	82	40	68,837
6St. Cloud	B+	62.0	58.8	58	55	90	65,130
7Wesley Chapel	B	61.0	56.3	75	63	—	76,011
8Jupiter	B+	59.6	62.6	71	71	40	61,883
9Wellington	B+	59.5	61.1	76	72	39	62,146
10Palm Bay	B	59.4	56.9	50	50	88	130,132
11Port St. Lucie	B	58.8	58.2	58	53	75	232,491
12Alafaya	B	58.6	57.0	67	57	—	92,449
13Riverview	C+	57.5	53.3	70	57	—	113,697
14Boca Raton	B+	57.4	61.0	68	65	38	100,234
15Miramar	B	57.2	58.3	63	62	51	138,600
16Doral	B+	56.7	61.5	62	70	35	79,216
17The Villages	C+	55.9	55.3	65	37	—	83,498
18Plantation	B	55.8	58.2	62	64	41	96,293
19Coral Springs	B	55.8	57.9	67	62	40	136,103
20Palm Coast	C+	55.1	52.8	54	50	72	98,258
21Bonita Springs	C+	54.9	53.6	64	60	48	55,904
22Delray Beach	B	54.2	58.5	52	58	42	67,979
23Pembroke Pines	B	53.6	57.6	59	58	40	173,194
24Sanford	C+	53.6	55.0	47	50	59	63,730
25Sarasota	B	53.3	56.9	44	51	53	56,970
26St. Petersburg	B	52.3	56.1	50	55	36	262,732
27Cape Coral	C	51.8	50.6	55	53	55	215,536
28Davie	C	51.7	51.6	58	61	45	108,346
29Kendall	C+	51.5	53.2	58	46	—	79,562
30Pensacola	C+	51.4	52.7	49	54	42	54,036
31Tampa	B	51.3	55.8	44	53	42	401,618
32Miami	C+	51.3	55.3	32	57	60	459,745
33Miami Beach	B	51.0	56.0	45	62	35	82,031
34Palm Harbor	C+	51.0	52.6	56	38	—	61,512
35Orlando	C+	50.7	53.4	45	55	47	319,758
36Winter Haven	C	50.6	51.2	36	40	76	55,200
37Boynton Beach	B	50.5	57.0	45	53	39	81,435
38West Palm Beach	C+	50.4	54.4	46	54	41	122,290
39Sunrise	C	50.4	51.0	54	55	40	97,918
40Fort Lauderdale	C	50.3	51.2	49	58	42	185,604
41Port Orange	C	50.2	51.4	52	52	43	64,767
42Deltona	C	49.8	49.6	55	51	42	97,334
43Jacksonville	C	49.3	50.9	44	49	49	977,670
44Coconut Creek	C	49.3	50.9	53	56	41	58,330
45Lakeland	C+	49.1	52.5	44	43	43	119,961
46Homestead	C	48.9	51.4	35	56	61	82,807
47Clearwater	B	48.8	56.2	42	50	27	117,247
48Brandon	C	48.7	49.4	54	39	—	119,767
49Fort Myers	C	48.4	51.5	38	45	54	95,051
50The Hammocks	C	48.4	49.7	55	44	—	58,838
51Pinellas Park	C+	48.3	54.8	44	50	27	53,560
52Largo	C+	48.2	55.5	43	49	27	82,617
53Melbourne	C	47.9	52.2	40	49	38	86,576
54Margate	C	47.2	49.3	45	50	42	59,198
55Ocala	C	47.1	50.7	26	41	63	66,584
56Pompano Beach	C	47.1	49.5	41	50	45	114,147
57Hollywood	C	46.9	50.1	42	52	41	155,082
58Town 'n' Country	D	46.8	48.5	51	34	—	85,928
59Hialeah	C+	46.5	53.4	33	53	37	226,165
60Miami Gardens	C	46.5	50.3	43	52	31	113,177
61Tamiami	D	46.4	48.3	53	38	—	49,752
62Bradenton	C	46.3	51.4	39	45	35	57,014
63Westchester	D	46.2	48.6	53	32	—	52,032
64Tamarac	D	45.7	47.9	43	48	40	73,019
65Four Corners	D	45.6	46.2	53	33	—	65,048
66Spring Hill	D	45.2	45.6	48	29	—	119,983
67Kissimmee	D	45.0	48.5	26	43	55	81,479
68Deerfield Beach	D	45.0	48.0	38	48	40	88,093
69Port Charlotte	D	45.0	44.3	50	25	—	66,133
70Daytona Beach	D	44.9	47.6	25	35	64	78,992
71Kendale Lakes	D	44.6	47.1	52	32	—	52,622
72Country Club	D	44.4	46.8	51	35	—	51,296
73Tallahassee	C	43.7	49.9	22	43	44	201,875
74North Miami	D	42.1	46.5	30	50	31	60,344
75Fountainebleau	D	41.2	46.0	45	26	—	55,665
76Lauderhill	F	39.5	42.3	27	40	38	74,896
77Poinciana	F	38.5	39.4	42	29	—	75,068
78Gainesville	D	37.6	48.6	5	34	42	145,702
79Lehigh Acres	F	37.2	39.2	38	28	—	132,353
80Pine Hills	F	36.2	39.0	33	21	—	80,105

City small business scores use each city's own data, with the category weights rescaled over the categories the city has; outdoor access has no city-level measure and is left out.

Compare: States with Similar Small Business Rankings

Also See: Florida for Other Lifestyles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Florida a good state for small business?

Florida ranks #19 out of 50 for small business with a persona-weighted score of 62.4/100. Its strongest relevant category is Safety (73/100) and its weakest is Livability (27/100).

What is the best city for small business in Florida?

Horizon West ranks #1 in Florida for small business with a score of 70.9/100, followed by Apopka and Palm Beach Gardens.

What factors are most important for small business in Florida?

Rankings weighted toward business-friendly tax climate, strong economy, population growth, workforce quality, and transportation infrastructure — what matters when starting or running a small business.