Southeast top for startups

Head to Cape Coral for the cheapest office space to start a new business.

But for the best overall shot at business success, better go north and east, about 325 miles, to Jacksonville. That's the No. 1 city nationwide for entrepreneurs who seek to start a new business, according to WalletHub, a personal finance social network. The WalletHub study analyzed 14 business metrics, from the five-year survival rate and cost of living to labor pool availability and office space affordability. The survey looked at those factors in the 150 most populated U.S. cities.

WalletHub balanced history with some rosy projections on Jacksonville. “'Where Florida begins' just so happens to be where small business begins these days, as Florida's largest city boasts the country's second-highest five-year small business survival rate as well as attractive corporate tax rates, a bountiful labor force and fairly accessible small business funding,” the survey states. “Jacksonville's high ranking as an entrepreneurial destination mirrors expectations for strong growth throughout the city's economy in 2014, buoyed by hiring in the construction and professional services industries as well as a burgeoning startup community.”