Which Michigan County is Best for Small Businesses?

The state of Michigan estimates having roughly 902,000 small businesses, with over 99% of businesses being categorized as small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. That accounts for roughly 1.9 million workers in the state or about 48.5% of all workers in the state.

Small businesses have always been the backbone of our country. Supporting local businesses does wonders for local economies and gives our neighborhoods plenty of variety in where to shop and what to buy.

Of course, not every economy is the same. Small businesses need to be set up where they can thrive in order to be successful. After all, when it comes to business, one thing is key: location, location, location.

With 83 counties, there's bound to be some variety in where the best place to set up shop in the Mitten State is. But where is the best county for Michigan small business owners to thrive?

According to altLINE via Slacker, which ranked the top 50 Michigan counties from worst to best for small businesses, Emmet County in North Michigan is at the top.

altLINE used 2021 Census Bureau data to rank counties based on the number of small businesses per 1,000 people. As such, counties with fewer than 1,000 people were excluded. It was altLine's opinion that a solid concentration of small businesses for lower populations was actually more beneficial to small businesses, citing customer loyalty and less competition from national chains.