Forbes Magazine has once again placed the Brazos Valley among the upper echelon of communities for business.
In its 2019 rankings of Best Small Places for Business and Careers, the College Station-Bryan metropolitan statistical area rose to second nationally and remained tops in Texas. The Brazos Valley was third nationally and first in the state in the 2018 edition.
Each year, Forbes tracks the business climates of metro areas, with the 200 biggest placed on one list, and the next 200 biggest featured on the Best Small Places list. The College Station-Bryan MSA has the sixth largest population among the second 200.
Fourteen metrics related to jobs, incomes and economic growth, business and living costs, and education levels are measured to determine the rankings, according to Forbes.
The College Station-Bryan MSA placed in the top two statewide and the top 30 nationally in three subcategories reported by Forbes:
Cost of Business: #2 in Texas, #13 in the U.S.
Job Growth: #2 in Texas, #22 in the U.S.
Education: #1 in Texas, #28 in the U.S.
The Brazos Valley is "The Hub of the Texas Triangle," positioned in the middle of the geographic region formed by Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio. Approximately 70 percent of the state's population is in this area, including the aforementioned metro areas and Austin. The College Station-Bryan MSA boasts labor and customer advantages because of its location, and also features talent, workforce, research and collaborative advantages with Texas A&M University, the Texas A&M University System's RELLIS Campus, the Blinn College District, and career and technical education programs offered by Bryan Independent School District and College Station Independent School District.
Click here for the Forbes profile on the College Station-Bryan MSA, and click here for the full list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers from Forbes.
You can also click here to see other rankings and recognitions for the Brazos Valley.