Florida’s diverse communities are a great place to live and do business, but don’t just take our word for it, here’s why everyone else thinks so:
Florida's Innovation Economy
Florida continues to shine as one of the nation’s best states for business, ranking No. 1 in the nation for Workforce, among the Top 10 in Technology & Innovation and Access to Capital, and moving up to rank 3rd overall in this year’s Chief Executive survey of the best places for jobs and business growth. (Chief Executive, March 2009)
Totaling more than $1.5 billion, Florida’s academic institutions attracted the 10th highest amount of research & development expenditure among all U.S. states in FY2007. (National Science Foundation, March 2009)
Three Florida Universities were among the nation’s Top 35 for Technology Strength in patenting, including the University of Central Florida, which ranked 8th in the U.S., according to the 2008 Universities Patent Scorecard. (Patent Board, September 2008)
Florida has the 2nd highest number (tied with Washington) of leading metropolitan areas on the Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Performing Cities 2008 - 200 Largest Metros Index. Florida consistently ranks among the top states in this annual report which measures economic growth, job creation, and technology growth. (Milken Institute, September 2008)
Orlando, Florida is one of only three U.S. cities (the others are Seattle and Kansas City) named to Fast Company magazine’s list of 12 “Fast Cities”. The magazine identifies these locations as “nodes of creativity and innovation,” notable among places around the globe that are thriving. (Fast Company, June 2008)
Florida's universities continue to grow their research investments, which totaled more than $1.6 billion in 2007. Licensing income, patents and invention disclosures were also up last year at 13 of the state's major research universities. (Florida Research Consortium, May 2008)
Growing for the 3rd consecutive year, Florida's high-tech workforce added an additional 5,700 jobs, making Florida the 4th largest Cyberstate by tech industry employment and among the 8 fastest growing. (AeA Cyberstates 2008, April 2008)
South Florida has been designated a mega- region ofthe future and a driver of U.S. economic growth in Richard Florida’s new book, “Who’s Your City?.” Noted strengths include considerable capability in arts and entertainment technology, an up-and-coming biotech and marine biology research center, and its status as a gateway for Latin American banking and investments. (BNET Today, March 2008)
Florida’s Palm Beach County is named a hotbed of tomorrow’s technology, ranking 3rd on Forbes Magazine’sTop10 Up-And-Coming Tech Cities, and noted for becoming a “haven for cutting edge biotech and life-science research.” The rankings are based on regional trends and patent activity in scientific fields that industry experts consider to be today’s most promising frontiers of innovation. (Forbes, March 2008)
Florida posted phenomenal gains in venture capital in 2007, nearly doubling over the year to reach $608.3 million. (Orlando Business Journal, January 2008)
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Florida's Fast-Growing Industries
Florida tops Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News’ list of U.S. Emerging Biotechnology Cluster hotspots, identified by industry thought leaders as one of the world’s most promising emerging biotech clusters. (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, May 2009)
Two Florida cities, Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg, have been named among the nation’s Top Ten Cities for Defense Jobs. (ClearanceJobs.com, March 2009)
Florida is a national leader in growing the alternative energy industry, ranking 2nd for number of new branches, 3rd in employment, and 5th in the nation for number of startups. (Business Xpansion Journal, Nov/Dec 2008)
The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, University of Central Florida’s graduate video game design and development program, ranked among the Top 10 schools most favored by video game industry recruiters for the quality of its graduates.(Los Angeles Times, October 2008)
Florida hospitals took 30 spots on U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 Best Hospitals list, including Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute which ranked No. 1 Ophthalmology hospital in the nation for the 5th year in a row. (U.S. News & World Report, July 2008) For a list of FL’s winning hospitals, click here.
Florida is one of the most desirable locations for film production, according to film industry magazine P3 Update’s Top 10 Places to Shoot in the U.S.. (P3 Update, July 2008)
Florida ranks among the top states in the nation in terms of bioscience-related higher education degrees (6th), employment (7th) and patents (8th). (Battelle Memorial Institute and Biotechnology Industry Organization, June 2008)
Florida is a national leader in the Biosciences industry, ranking 2nd in the U.S. for number of Biosciences startups and among the top 10 for number of new Biosciences branches and total employment. (Business Xpansion Journal, April 2008)
Maitland-based Electronic Arts Tiburon Studio has been named one of the Top 10 video game development studios in the world. Game Developer Magazine’s “Top 50 Developers” combines market data with a detailed survey of game development professionals to rankings based on both sales and reputation data. (Game Developer Magazine, March 2008)
Florida was named a Top 5 Region for Biotech in 2008 by the industry's daily monitor, Fierce Biotech. This is Florida's 2nd consecutive year at the top of this ranking of regions supportive of biotech development. (Fierce Biotech, February 2008).
Florida ranks among the topU.S. states for its numberof newmanufacturing startups (3rd) and new manufacturing branches (4th), according to Business Xpansion Journal. (Business Xpansion Journal, February 2008).
Florida’s transportation industry earned top spots on Business Xpansion Journal’s transportation establishments rankings – 2nd in the U.S. for number of new transportation startups, and 4th for number of new branches. (Business Xpansion Journal, January 2008).
Florida took top spots in recent Life Science business rankings, coming in 2nd in the nation for number of BioScience and Healthcare Services start-ups, 3rd for number of Medical Device Manufacturer and Pharmaceutical start-ups, and 3rd for new BioScience, Healthcare Services, and Medical Device Manufacturer branches. (Business Xpansion Journal, September 2007)
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Florida's Business-Friendly Climate
Tampa (1st), Miami (5th), Jacksonville (5th), and Orlando (7th) won top spots in their respective size categories in fDi Magazine's Cities of the Future. (fDi Magazine, April/May 2009)
Four Florida metros, Orlando, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Cape Coral-Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, are among the nation’s best places to start a small business. (Bizjournals, February 2009)
Three Florida cities (Orlando, Miami, and Tampa) are among the nation’s “most wired”, according to Forbes’ rankings based on high-speed connections, Internet access options, and Wi-Fi availability. (Forbes, January 2009)
Florida continues to gain ground among the nation’s top states for entrepreneurship, moving up to rank 4th overall in the 2008 Small Business Survival Index. Florida’s low tax rates have helped improve its rating from 6th in 2006 and 5th in 2007. (Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, December 2008)
Florida earned top spots on Site Selection’s 2008 Top State Business Climate rankings. The state’s business climate ranked 4th among executives and 6th overall. (Site Selection, November 2008)
Florida continues to rank among the top 5 states for best tax climates for business, according to a Tax Foundation survey. With no state income tax, lowcorporatetaxes, a low unemployment insurance tax rate, and sales tax exemptions for certain business transactions, Florida has remained among the top 5 U.S. states since the survey’s inception. ( The Tax Foundation, October 2008)
Florida’s Tampa (2nd) and Orlando (5th) international airports were ranked among the top U.S. airports for businesstravelers, according to the Conde Nast Traveler Business Travel Awards. (Conde Nast Traveler, October 2008)
Florida’s Economic Climate ranks No.1 in the U.S., according to Forbes’ Best States for Business. Ranking 8th overall, Florida also scored among the Top 5 in the Labor and Growth Prospects categories. (Forbes, August 2008)
Florida's business climate is among the Top 5 in the country, according to a new study published by the consulting firm Development Counselors International (The Wall Street Journal, July 2008)
Florida has the #1 Workforce in the nation, according to CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business. Florida also ranked high in Technology & Innovation and Access to Capital. (CNBC, July 2008)
Florida leads the U.S., with 6 cities among the nation’s top 25, in terms of Fastest Job Growth, according to Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live rankings. (CNNMoney.com, July 2008)
Florida is among the nation’s most entrepreneurial states, ranking 11th on theKauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, a study that measures business startup activity across the United States. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach metro continued to rank high (5th) among large MSAs in terms of its rate of entrepreneurial activity. (Kauffman Foundation, April 2008)
Florida continues to receive high marks for its business tax structure, ranking as the 5th Best State Tax System for Entrepreneurship and Small Business. (Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, April 2008)
Florida is one of the most pro-business states in the nation, ranking 2nd in Pollina Corporate Real Estate’s Top 10 Pro Business States study. The rankings are based on 28 measurements including taxes, human resources, right-to-work legislation, energy costs and job growth study. ( PollinaCorporate Real Estate, Inc., April 2008)
Florida’s low taxes and smart growth policies have placed it among the top 5 Best States for Starting a Business, according to Fortune Small Business. (Fortune Small Business, November 2007)
Florida’s business climate is among the Top 10 in the nation in an overall ranking, and among the Top 5 in a survey of corporate real estate executives. (Site Selection, November 2007)
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Florida's Thriving Companies
Florida is 4th in the nation, with 22 and 263 of the fastest growing privately-held companies, respectively, on this year's Inc. 500/5000 rankings. (Inc. Magazine, August 2008)
Florida is home to 12 of America’s Most Admired Companies – all of which ranked among the top 5 in their respective industry group categories. These annual rankings are determined by a survey of industry peers and are based on qualities such as innovation, social responsibility, financial soundness, quality of products/service, and use of corporate assets. (Fortune Magazine, March 2008)
For more nationally ranked Florida companies, please visit theFlorida's Company Lists webpage.
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Florida's Excellent Quality of Life
Orlando (4th), Tampa (5th), and Miami (12th) are among America’s most desirable places to live. (Pew Research Center, January 2009)
Six Florida universities, including University of Florida ranking No. 2 in the nation, and New College of Florida in 8th place, were named to Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges. These rankings recognize schools with top-flight academics and affordable costs. (Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, January 2009)
Florida ranks among the nation’s top 10 states in Education Week’s 2009 Quality Counts: Portrait of a Population, a report that tracks state policies and performance across key areas of education. Florida ranks 4th in the nation in the Teaching Profession and 7th in student achievement. (Education Week, January 2009)
Florida is the Best Trails State in America, winning the biennial National Trails Award, and noted for its outstanding statewide system of trails. (American Trails, November 2008)
Florida ranks No.1 in the nation in online education. The Center for Digital Education evaluated each state’s vision, policies, programs and strategies to transform their academic environments to meet student need, and declared Florida the national leader. (Center for Digital Education, October 2008)
Eight of Florida’s college and universities were ranked among the best by the U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” University of Florida and Florida State University earned #17 and #50 ranks, respectively, in the Top Public Schools: National Universities list, while the University of Miami ranked #51 in the overall Best National Universities list. Among private colleges, Rollins College ranked #1 among 121 Southern master's-level universities, New College of Florida became the nation’s #5 ranked Public Liberal Arts College, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University retained its top ranking for the ninth year in a row in "Best aerospace/aeronautical/ astronautical engineering programs" in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report)
Florida leads the nation with the most Newsweek Top 100 U.S. High Schools, accounting for nearly 1 out of every 5 of the top ranked schools as measured by the magazine’s Challenge Index. (Newsweek, May 2008)
Florida beaches were awarded more top 10 spots than any other state, including #1 beach in the U.S., on this year’s America’s Best Beaches list. This internationally recognized ranking is based on 50 criteria including number of sunny days, sand softness, algae and pollution content, safety record, and more. (Dr. Beach, May 2008)
Florida is home to more of Relocate-America'sTop Places to Live than any other state. These rankings further attest to Florida's high quality of life, and are based on a combination of economic data and feedback from people who live in each area. (Relocate America, May 2008)
From 2006 to 2007, Palm Coast, Florida was the fastest growing metro area in the United States. (U.S. Census Bureau, March 2008)
Six Florida universities, including two among the Top 5, were named to Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges. These rankings recognize schools with top-flight academics and affordable costs. (Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, January 2008)
Florida metros dominated the Forbes list of America's Fastest-Growing Large and Small Metros, winning nearly one-third of the top spots. The Cape Coral-Ft. Myers, Palm Coast, Port St. Lucie, Orlando, Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, and Naples-Marco Island metro areas were all included on this list of thriving cities. (Forbes, January 2008)
Winning 5 of the Top 10 spots, Florida beaches dominated the rankings of Fastest Growing Domestic Winter Beach Destinations issued by leading online travel company, Orbitz Worldwide. (Orbitz Worldwide, January 2008)
Florida ranks among the top 15 states in Education Week’s annual Quality Counts: Tapping into Teaching report, ranking 4th in the nation in efforts to improve teaching and 7th in student achievement. Florida also ranks among the top 15 states in terms of the alignment of its K-12 education system with early learning, higher learning, and the workplace, and its academic standards and accountability policies. (Education Week, January 2008)
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