Using data from the US Census Bureau, B2B Reviews recently identified 49 of North Carolina’s most populous cities (those with more than 20,000 people) and compared them across five key metrics to determine which ones are best for small businesses in 2025. The cities were graded within each metric and scored on a 100-point scale to determine the best for small businesses, and Wake Forest ranked twentieth.
According to B2B Reviews, “Wake Forest rounds off the top 20, with a population of 54,337 (0.50% of North Carolina) and an impressive 8.71% population increase from 2020 to 2023. The city has a commercial real estate cost of $17.75 per square foot, the twelfth lowest in the state. Its growth and affordable real estate make it a strong contender for small businesses.”
B2B Reviews ranked the cities according to the following metrics important to small business operations: the percentage of the state’s population, the population increase from 2020 to 2023, the percentage of employer firms, the sales tax rate, and the average cost of commercial real estate.
To view the entire top 10 list, along with the full study and methodology, visit https://www.b2breviews.com/best-north-carolina-cities-for-small-business/.
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