Tennessee Valley Authority Economic Development
News
Forbes names four Valley cities as tops for business;
Kiplinger's rates Nashville No. 1 ‘smart city’
May 18, 2006 – Four cities in the Tennessee Valley have placed among the top 20 in Forbes magazine’s 2006 rankings of Best Places for Business and Careers. Among metro areas, Knoxville, Tennessee, ranked fifth; Nashville, Tennessee, seventh; and Huntsville, Alabama, 14th. In the list of smaller metro areas, Johnson City, Tennessee, ranked ninth.
Forbes lists the top 200 cities based on the cost of doing business, job growth, and educational attainment. Metro areas are those with at least one urbanized area of 50,000 people or more. The magazine noted that half of the top 10 places are new to the list this year, and that previously ranked cities like Atlanta and Austin had been hurt by slowing income growth. Read the Forbes article.
Nashville also won recognition from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine as number one out of 50 “smart places to live ” in the nation.
Kiplinger’s defines a smart city as one “where a dollar goes a long way, both in housing and normal expenses. And there's also no compromise as far as quality of life goes." The magazine noted Nashville's "affordable homes, mild climate, and phenomenal entertainment scene that goes far beyond country.” Robert Frick, senior editor, said he was surprised by Nashville's economic diversity: “the manufacturing, the finance, the education, and, of course, the recording industry.” Read the Kiplinger's article.