Florida is an exciting place for many people who live or move here, for numerous personal and professional reasons.
Add entrepreneurship to that list. A recent study by WalletHub.com names Florida as the top state in the U.S. for business startups. Which means it’s also the place to be if you’re ready to start your own business.
Whether you’re searching for a new custom Florida home as a current or wannabe Florida resident, we at ICI Homes can help make that process easier. We’re also a Florida business and know the residential real estate market here like, well, the back of our proverbial hands!
Here’s why WalletHub says Florida’s tops for business startups in 2026.
Key takeaways
- Florida earned the top spot in WalletHub’s 2026 ranking of the best states to start a business, reinforcing its appeal for entrepreneurs and small-business owners.
- The state stood out for its strong business environment, startup activity, and continued growth in small businesses and working-age population.
- For buyers considering a move, Florida offers not only lifestyle advantages but also a supportive environment for launching or growing a business.
- ICI Homes understands that entrepreneurial spirit firsthand and helps buyers find a new home in communities across many of Florida’s key growth markets.
Study says
WalletHub’s “Best and Worst States to Start a Business in 2026” study dropped January 19.
Using statistical data from many government, private and public sources, the website’s researchers examined all 50 states in three major aspects — business environment, access to resources and business costs — using 25 metrics. A bit more detail is below, but suffice to say, Florida’s a fertile locale for budding and experienced entrepreneurs.
Per the WalletHub study, each of the 25 metrics was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 as the optimum conditions for a startup or new business. The metrics assigned to the business-environment category were worth 50 points. Metrics assigned to the access-to-resources and business-costs categories were worth 25 points each.
Researchers determined each state’s weighted average across all 25 metrics (and three main categories), then calculated each’s overall score to determine the final rankings.
Where Florida excelled
WalletHub’s survey results found the Sunshine State had the third-most startups per capita and the highest percentage of adults who do entrepreneurship. It also ranked second overall in the business-environment category.
Its small businesses grew nearly 16 percent between 2017-2023, the U.S.’s fifth-highest percentage. It also boasts the 15th-lowest corporate taxes among the 50 states.
And while Florida is known for its lure to retirees, that’s not a factor when it comes to workforce resources. WalletHub researchers discovered Florida’s working-age population (ages 16-64) is growing faster than all but five other states. It also has the third-highest percentage of workers who expressed enthusiasm and commitment to their work.
ICI Homes knows Florida startups
We were once one ourselves.
Founded by longtime and current CEO Mori Hosseini, ICI Homes has built new custom Florida homes all over the state for more than 45 years. We’re headquartered in Daytona Beach, with divisional footprints in east central Florida, northeast Florida, Orlando, Gainesville, the Tampa Bay region, and Sarasota. We’re known as Florida’s Custom Home Builder, developing our own master-planned communities and serving as a preferred builder in others.
Today, ICI Homes is one of the largest privately owned residential builders in Florida and the southeast U.S., plus a fixture among Builder Magazine’s annual Top 100 Builders.
Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.