A National Standout

Release Date: Wednesday, December 21st 2011

The DC metropolitan area ranked No. 1 for the second consecutive year on the MarketWatch list of the 2011 Best Cities for Business. Out of a possible 1,530 points, the Washington metropolitan area ranked just ahead of Boston (1,339.5 points versus 1,143.5 points).  Longtime rival New York ranked in ninth place (1,052.5 points). The reasons cited for the DC area’s top rating: an ample supply of companies both large and small; a strong economy; low jobless rates; and a huge federal government presence, good for tapping during hard times. It was noted, however, that the U.S. employs 12% of the region’s workforce, down from 60% a few decades ago. Also, local businesses continue to complain about long commuting time. MarketWatch, a financial information website, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Jones. Its study examined multiple criteria in two general categories, economic stability and company concentration. Click here for the Best Cities list.