According to Moody’s Analytics, the Mankato-North Mankato MSA (Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties) has the Lowest Cost of Doing Business in Minnesota and the 8th lowest in the Upper Midwest (MN, IA, WI, SD, ND).

Below is a table compiled by Greater Mankato Growth for the Upper Midwest based on Moody’s 2016 Cost of Doing Business.  The “Index” column represents the Cost of Doing Business as compared to the U.S average of 100.  The lower the number the cheaper it is to do business in the metro.

The Cost of Doing Business analysis is comprised of 4 variables:

1. Unit Labor Cost
2. Energy Cost
3. State and Local Tax
4. Office Rent

Our competitive Cost of Doing Business is primarily driven by our index score in the Office Rent category.