Ellington

Accounting firm KPMG of Charlotte, N.C., is listing Jackson as one of the most affordable metropolitan areas for business among 13 U.S. locations with populations between 500,000 and 1.5 million. Jackson ranked second in mid-sized cities, behind Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.

KPMG's Competitive Alternatives study, which looked at 13 mid-sized cities, listed Jackson with a cost index of 95.0, with Nashville following at a close 95.5. Jackson beat out cities like Hartford, Conn., Buffalo, N.Y. and Colorado Springs, Colo. Jackson made the top category thanks to its low labor costs, which were the lowest among all 13 cities considered, though readily available, cheap office space and low facility costs were also a factor.

Hartley Powell, national leader for KMPG's Strategic Relocation Expansion Services, said Jackson should take note of the analysis, because companies certainly will. "Cost is a key factor out there. When we work with business executives, that's the first thing they want to look at. ... Being a low-cost city in the lowest-cost region in the U.S. pretty well positions Jackson for success," Powell said.