A recent study by ZoomProspector ranked the top 10 cities for startups in the United States. The shorter version can be found below:
1. Boulder, CO
2. Boca Raton, FL
3. Santa Monica, CA
4. Bend, OR
5. Irvine, CA
6. Cambridge, MA
7. Bellevue, WA
8. Franklin, TN
9. San Francisco, CA
10. Rockville, MD
I honestly can't say I'm all that surprised with this list. Some of them clearly make sense. Cambridge is lucky enough to have Harvard and MIT in the backyard, providing some of the best and brightest every year. Florida has the draw of the beach and California is essentially the tech hub of the world (Yes, I know CA is a big state).
The big thing of note that did not surprise me but is still troubling, is the neglect of the midwest. I have talked with a few people involved in high tech startups outside of Silicon Valley, and they have all stated how hard it is when you're outside the "tech bubble." Although it is definitely possible to create a successful tech startup elsewhere, it becomes more difficult when you're not close to the area. There are talks that Cincinnati will become the CPG Silicon Valley, but will it ever actually occur? And if it does, will it draw more resources to the surrounding areas? Will this enable new companies to sprout up?
The midwest cities are always trying to lure entrepreneurs, but is any of it working? It will be interesting to see the list of top 10 cities for startups in the next couple years. Do you think it will differ much? Personally, I hope to see more major college towns on there. Entrepreneurship is slowly becoming a more common topic in the classroom, and I hope it leads to more young people creating companies on their own.
