TABLE OF CONTENTS
We have revisited our Startup City Campaign and updated our survey, identifying the top 50 cities in Australia where it is best to start a new business. Rankings have changed, cities have declined and improved, and a few surprises can be found in our Startup City report.
What’s Included?
Our 2025 Startup City report analysed the 50 largest cities to determine which were the best for starting a business. To determine the best cities, we analysed several factors:
- Talent Pool
- Business Landscape
- Internet Speed
- Cost of Living
Talent pool
As part of our survey, we analysed each city’s capacity for or access to a healthy talent pool. Many factors contributed to the ranking for talent pool, which ranged from access to young workers, unemployment rate, education, health, and median income.
Business Landscape
The importance of a fertile business environment was a significant factor in determining a great startup city. The business landscape was assessed by analysing the density of businesses, their annual growth, and the survival rate of businesses in the city.
Internet Speed
Internet speed is essential infrastructure for small businesses and can make or break the success of any startup. Our internet speed survey was weighted on download and upload speeds as well as latency.
Cost of Living
The cost of living was our final factor in determining the ranking of our 2025 Startup City Report. Our scores for cost of living were weighed on weekly rent, monthly mortgages, transport costs and childcare.
What’s Changed?
A lot has changed since our 2024 report, as there was significant movement in the top 50 rankings, particularly in the top 10.
The Biggest standout from this year is Canberra – Queanbeyan, jumping 31 spots to poll in the top 5 best places to start a business. The top spot was taken by the monumental improvement from Perth, which jumped 19 places to claim the number one spot as the best city to start a business.
What’s Next?
Every year brings new changes to Australia’s business landscape. This report demonstrates that significant changes can occur within 12 months. Check out where your city ranks and download our report here.
