Oklahoma City tops best cities list to launch a startup

July 9, 2014 CNN Money: 10 best cities to launch a startup. Access to funding, labor and the cost of living can make or break a new business. Based on a NerdWallet study, these 10 cities are the best in the country to launch a startup. If you have entrepreneurial dreams, you'll want to consider Oklahoma City. It nabbed the title of the best place to launch a small business last year, according to NerdWallet's second annual ranking.

"Oklahoma City has seen a recent uptick in small business lending, which is helping to spur entrepreneurship there," said Sreekar Jasthi, an analyst with NerdWallet, noting that it moved up from fifth place in 2012.

The small business loans are bolstered by a low cost of living and relatively low income tax.

"The ease of getting a business started here is another big sell," said Susan Urbach, director of the University of Central Oklahoma Small Business Development Center. "You can file all the paperwork online or head downtown and get it all done in a single morning."

The city's revitalized downtown and several new business accelerators are helping Oklahoma City attract new startups, particularly in healthcare, biotech and technology.