Jacksonville Ranks 8th in Nation for Entrepreneurs

Jacksonville was one of three Florida cities ranked in the top 10 cities for entrepreneurs by Inc. magazine. Jacksonville was eighth on the list, while West Palm Beach was fifth and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach was seventh. The list is in the March issue of the magazine.

The magazine evaluated 277 cities across the country on factors including job growth, local support and overall affordability. Atlanta was the top-rated city, while the worst city for entrepreneurs was San Jose, Calif. The cities at the opposite ends of the rankings reflect a change in the climate for entrepreneurs since the crash of the tech industry.

Florida's strength was based on job creation. The state now has 21 consecutive months of job growth. The state unemployment rate was a full point lower than the national rate of 5.7 percent, according the Agency for Workforce Innovation.