ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando area ranks among the nation’s leading metropolitan regions for business growth and longevity, according to a new Squarespace analysis.
The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan area placed No. 11 among the 50 largest U.S. metro areas. Researchers examined business entry and exit data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Dynamics Statistics.
The broader report also considered establishment survival data across 19 industries from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Business Employment Dynamics program.
Orlando recorded a business entry rate of 14.14%, the highest among the metropolitan areas studied.
The region also had the highest exit rate at 11.49%, reflecting significant turnover as businesses open and close. The difference produced a positive net growth rate of 2.65%.
Squarespace ranked Orlando with an overall score of 51.96.
Three other Florida metropolitan areas also placed in the top 20:
- Jacksonville ranked No. 12.
- Tampa ranked No. 14.
- Miami ranked No. 19.
Hartford, Connecticut, topped the ranking with a 13.11% entry rate, an 8.42% exit rate and a net growth rate of 4.69%.
Austin, Nashville, Raleigh and San Antonio completed the top five.
The report found that Florida had the highest business entry rate among all states at 13.11%, although it also had the second-highest statewide exit rate at 10.91%.
Researchers said the findings show that rapidly growing markets often experience considerable business turnover as new companies enter and reshape the local economy.
The ranking was produced by Squarespace using federal data and is not an official government ranking. The company said the information was current as of June 22, 2026.
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