Knoxville has vaulted to one of the top 25 cities in America to do business in Inc. Magazine's 2005 rankings of metropolitan areas.

Knoxville ranks 18th on Inc.'s "Best Places for Doing Business in America" list, which is to be published in the magazine's May issue which will be on newsstands Tuesday.

"The city is working with leaders across the region in an unprecedented way to create and sustain a vibrant and growing economy," Mayor Bill Haslam said, referring to Jobs Now!, a five-year economic development strategy funded by public and private partners.

"This ranking is continued evidence that we have the right strategy in place to create jobs and increase wages in our area," the Mayor stated.

Knoxville was the only city in Tennessee to place in the top 25 and one of two in the South, with the exception of Florida cities.

The list is based on an objective review of job growth data in 274 cities supplied by the federal government. Sustained job growth balanced among many industries was the leading indicator of an entrepreneurial hot spot.

Knoxville moved from no. 107 on last year's list. Magazine's rankings are based on job growth, business expansions and trends in annual growth.

Regarding Knoxville, Inc. magazine wrote, "Thirty five thousand new jobs by 2007 - that's the goal Knoxville set for itself two years ago, and so far, so good. To date, the area has added 7,300 new positions and recorded $526 million in new capital investments. It's seen a boon in financial services, with call centers processing everything from student loans to mortgages." 

TOP 25 LIST
1. Reno, NV 
2. Boise, ID 
3. Casper, WY 
4. Green Bay, WI 
5. Medford, OR 
6. Riverside-San Bernadino, CA 
7. Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, FL 
8. Missoula, MT 
9. Ft. Myers-Cape Coral, FL
10. Jacksonville, FL 
11. Northern Virginia 
12. Daytona Beach, FL 
13. Norfolk-Va. Beach-Newport News, VA 
14. Las Vegas, NV 
15. La Crosse, WI 
16. Phoenix, AZ 
17. Ft. Lauderdale-Hollyw'd-Pomp. Beach, FL 
18. Knoxville, TN 
19. Bloomington, IN 
20. Orlando, FL 
21. Manchester, NH 
22. San Diego, CA 
23. Des Monies, IA 
24. South New Jersey 
25. Burlington, VT