Auburn ranks as one of the worst small cities to start a business: Officials disagree

Auburn is ranked as one of the worst small city’s in New York to start a business, according to a study by WalletHub.

The study, which drew attention in August, listed Auburn at No. 1,303 out of 1,334 small cities in America, provoking local officials and mayoral candidate Tim Lattimore to express concern and critique the methodology.

Lattimore deemed the ranking “shameful,” in a letter to the editor published by The Citizen, attributing downtown vacancies and limited opportunities for young workers to the city’s unfavorable business environment.

The study used a range of metrics such as business environment, access to resources, and business costs to compare the cities, which have populations between 25,000 and 100,000, leaning on data from various national agencies.

Local business leaders and officials criticized the report, pointing to flaws in its methods, including leaning into population, which puts Auburn at a disadvantage.

Staff Report

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