Florida is home to one of the fastest expanding small-business environments in the country

Florida was ranked 2nd in the U.S. for being friendly to small businesses.

Florida is one of the most fertile states for small-business growth in America, according to a new study analyzing small-business development across the country.

The research by OnDeck, a small-business loan website, found Florida was the third-best in the country for small-business growth. The study used U.S. Census data from 2020 and 2021 to compile the list. Florida experienced a 5.22% increase in small business in that time. That’s topped by only two other states, including Idaho at the top of the list with 6.55% small-business growth followed by Delaware at 5.55%.

Within the state analysis, OnDeck researchers found many cities within Florida were doing well with small-business development compared to other metropolitan areas in the country. Orlando was ranked first in the country among large metro areas with 6.2% growth in small businesses.

“Orlando is recognized for incentive programs that both attract and retain small businesses. One such incentive, Orlando Main Streets, has created 11,000 new jobs and more than 1,800 new businesses since 2008. Some 68% of Central Florida business owners report that ‘current performance is either excellent or meeting their expectations,’” the study concluded.

Jacksonville came in eighth with 5.23% growth among small businesses. That was followed by Tampa-St. Petersburg-Cleared at ninth with 5.17%. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area rounded out the top 10 with a 4.95% small-business growth rate.

Several medium-sized Florida cities are also friendly to small businesses and clinched most of the top six spots for mid-size markets. Lakeland-Winter Haven ranked second at 6.59%. Cape Coral-Fort Myers came in third at 6.31%, with North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton ranked fourth at 6.26%. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent finished fifth at 6.09%, and Port St. Lucie was ranked sixth with a 5.41% increase in small businesses.

In the small city category, Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin was ranked the eighth-best small town for small-business development with a 6.04% growth rate.

St. Johns County leads Florida in the county category, with the best small-business growth rate in the state at 9.54% among the 67 counties.