Pa. 5th worst for business startups
Those thinking about starting up a new business definitely want to steer clear of Hawaii, but they also may want to think twice about hanging out a shingle in the Keystone State.
Pennsylvania ranks fifth worst among the 50 U.S. states in which to start a business, according to the personal finance website WalletHub.
The best state for a business startup is Texas, and the four ranked below Pennsylvania are Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Hawaii, according to WalletHub.
But those in the know in Butler County take issue with the article, saying the ranking does not hold water in the southwestern part of the state.
Mark Gordon, the county's chief of economic development and planning, said statistics can be manipulated.
“At first blush, they're citing statistics by state,” said Gordon, “but I think the Southwestern Pennsylvania region and the statistic of Pennsylvania are not one and the same.”
Gordon used as an example the cost of living index, which he said was 99.6 in the Pittsburgh region in 2017, while the benchmark average was 108.
“There are two major cities in the state and that can skew that statistic for a region if it is looked at statewide,” Gordon said.
The article can be viewed at www.wallethub.com/edu/best-states-to-start-a-business.
Read more about why some people believe the ranking is inaccurate in the Butler Eagle.
