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Saturday, November 14, 2026Nov 14

Chattanooga is the lowest-cost city for starting a business

The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga is shown in the distance in this file photo. (Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto/trevarthan)
The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga is shown in the distance in this file photo. (Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto/trevarthan)

The cheapest metro cities to start a business with five full-time employees in a 1,000-square-foot office are:

1. Chattanooga, $235,873

2. Greensboro, North Carolina, $238,989

3. Wichita, Kansas, $239,199

4. Little Rock, Arkansas, $240,034