Austin is a one-of-a-kind place that's not just unique to Texas but to the whole country. It defies stereotypes: It's progressive and fiercely entrepreneurial, pro-business and pro-environment. It's easy going and hard working. The Austin area won't just welcome your business – it will make it better.

Year after year the Austin area gets top marks for its quality of life. We're the country's 13th largest city with all the positive attributes of a smaller town: quality healthcare, low crime rates, affordable housing, outstanding schools, and a low cost of living. Our sunny climate includes lush green hills, cool natural springs and miles of hike and bike trails.

Austin hosts a highly educated, bilingual, multi-tiered workforce and a passion for success. Our population offers skill sets that ranges from high-end technology design, development and marketing to back-office operations that help customers with everything from banking services to video game advice.

For a lot of companies, Texas is a business-friendly destination. There's no personal state income tax and wages are competitive. In Austin you'll find a thriving business base that includes enterprises in technology, digital media, clean energy and life sciences, advanced manufacturing and data centers. It's a dynamic business ecosystem that has provided consistent growth for some of the world's most successful companies, including Dell, Whole Foods, Freescale, Facebook, Ebay/PayPal, GM, Samsung, and more.

Central Texas has the infrastructure to support your business. We offer proven telecommunications, transportation, and electric and water utility capacities that support major industries. Our municipal utility, Austin Energy, boasts the lowest outage frequency and outage duration rates in the country. Also, our modern international airport is among the most sophisticated in the nation.

When it comes to business, it seems the whole world has a place in the heart of Central Texas. Austin is a region defined by stunning growth, lower business and living costs, and a youthful, well-educated population. It's easy to see why Austin business makes national headlines; in fact, Kiplinger's ranked Austin in 2010 as the best city for the next decade.