Naperville has been named to yet another “best of list.” In its April 2008 issue, Fortune Small Business magazine named Naperville number 29 on its “100 Best Places to Live and Launch” list. The magazine examined metro areas across the country using US Census data looking for family friendly areas that also had strong small business growth. From there, they narrowed the search down to the city level.

 

Naperville was the only Illinois city to be named to the list. Our school systems were tops on our pros list and our heavy traffic was our largest negative. The magazine considered other lifestyle factors, such as parks and other public infrastructure. Business factors such as tax rates and job growth were also considered. According to their web site, Naperville “boasts the lowest municipal property tax rates in the Chicago metropolitan area, and Naperville entrepreneurs benefit from a number of state tax incentives targeting small business.” They go onto say that “in 2007, the city fielded 116 start-ups.”

 

Naperville has been recognized many times over as a wonderful place for people of all ages to live. Now it is being recognized on a national level for its small business development as well.