Vienna Named Among Virginia's Top Cities to Start a Business

With a corporate tax rate and unemployment rate both below the national average, Virginia has proven itself to be one of the most business-friendly states in the nation.

Perhaps that’s why the Commonwealth has added more than 193,000 jobs since the 2008 recession, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, while private sector workers are earning 1.9 percent more than they did a year ago.

However, online financial resource NerdWallet dove a bit further into Virginia’s business culture, extracting the 10 best towns in which to start a new business throughout the state.

Vienna ranked seventh on the list, not surprising considering the town has ranked among Time Magazine’s top towns to live twice in a row.

Take a look at what NerdWallet had to say about its No. 7 city to start a business in Virginia:

Located 17 miles west of downtown D.C., the town of Vienna has 16.3 businesses per 100 people, a high median annual income of $83,125, and a 2.1 percent unemployment rate, the second lowest of all the communities in our survey. The town’s ranking is hampered a bit by high median monthly housing costs of $2,254. The top three employers in the area include Navy Federal Credit Union, Fairfax County Public Schools and Contemporary Electrical Services Inc. The Vienna Business Association offers networking and promotion for its members.

NerdWallet evaluated each city’s business environment and local economy when forming this list, and noticed that adjacency to Washington, D.C., helps Northern Virginia cities a great deal.

Topping the list is Tysons Corner, which continues to transform into Northern Virginia’s urban center after the opening of the Metrorail Silver Line throughout the city. Falls Church and Fairfax also cracked NerdWallet’s top 5, further representing the region’s business friendly reputation.

Take a look at the rest of the top 10:

1. Tysons Corner

2. Fairfax

3. Warrenton

4. Abingdon

5. Falls Church

6. Forest

8. Merrifield

9. Hollins

10. Ashland