Santa Clarita Tops L.A. Business Rankings

Santa Clarita tied the City of Los Angeles for the top spot in BizFed’s 2026 Pulse Poll ranking of Los Angeles County’s most business-friendly cities, according to a Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp. post published August 5. The result gave Santa Clarita its fourth consecutive year at No. 1 in the survey, which SCVEDC said asks business groups and executives about operating conditions and local priorities. The ranking was based on BizFed’s annual Pulse Poll, which the business coalition says has been conducted since 2008. Santa Clarita officials and business advocates pointed to low local business taxes and a coordinated support network as central reasons the city continues to score well. ### Why did Santa Clarita place at the top again? SCVEDC said Santa Clarita has now finished among the top three in nine of the past 10 BizFed polls and has ranked No. 1 seven times, including six outright wins and the 2026 tie with Los Angeles. The group said that record reflects repeated support from respondents who associate the city with easier business operations and local responsiveness. (scvedc.org) The 2026 result was a tie, not a solo win. SCVEDC said Los Angeles shared the top ranking this year, a notable shift from earlier BizFed-era results, including a 2018 BizFed Institute release that described Los Angeles as the county’s worst city in which to do business while Santa Clarita ranked first. (scvedc.org) ### What does the poll actually measure? BizFed said the 2026 Pulse Poll is meant to capture business sentiment across Southern California and help shape its advocacy priorities. A February 2, 2026 BizFed alert described the survey as drawing on the perspectives of 245 business organizations across 28 industries. BizFed’s website says the coalition represents about 240 member organizations, 420,000 employers and 5 million employees across Southern California. (scvedc.org) The 2026 presentation cited by SCVEDC showed 427 participants representing more than 35 industries, with 59% identifying themselves as the top decision-maker in their organization. SCVEDC said 70% of respondents who selected a city as the county’s most business-friendly said they did business there or knew people who did. (bizfedlacounty.org) ### What specific factors did Santa Clarita’s backers highlight? SCVEDC said Santa Clarita offers “no business license, gross receipts, payroll, or utility user taxes,” which it described as immediate cost advantages for companies. The group also said the 2024 Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey placed Santa Clarita in the lowest-cost tier among Los Angeles County cities. (scvedc.org) The city’s economic development materials make a similar case. Santa Clarita’s Economic Development Division says the city has been consistently recognized as one of the county’s most business-friendly places and frames that reputation around business-focused practices and support for entrepreneurs. ### Which local institutions were cited as part of that support system? (scvedc.org) SCVEDC said the city’s business climate is supported through coordination among the City of Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, SCVEDC, College of the Canyons and other regional partners. The organization said that network helps companies with site selection, permitting, incentives, workforce development and expansion. (econdev.santaclarita.gov) SCVEDC also said that environment supports more than 10,000 businesses across sectors including aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, medical devices, entertainment, technology and professional services. That figure is the clearest measure offered in the August 5 post for the scale of the local business base tied to the ranking. (scvedc.org) ### How should readers read the tie with Los Angeles? The ranking comes from a business federation poll, not a government audit or an independent academic index. BizFed says the survey is designed to reflect the priorities and perceptions of business leaders, and SCVEDC said the 2026 result is meaningful because it reflects “real-world business experience” from respondents familiar with the places they named. (scvedc.org) The tie also sits alongside broader concerns in the same 2026 poll. The presentation cited inflation, public infrastructure, health care costs, energy, workforce readiness, taxes and fees, and access to capital among the top business concerns identified by respondents. ### What comes next after the ranking? BizFed said Pulse Poll data is used to guide its policy discussions and advocacy efforts with policymakers. (scvedc.org) Santa Clarita’s economic development arm is already using the August 5 result in its business recruitment and marketing, and the city’s Economic Development Division continues to feature the 2025 and earlier rankings in its public-facing materials. (bizfedlacounty.org) (lascc.us)