Why San Angelo:

The 2002 Forbes/Miliken list of Best Places for Business and Careers listed San Angelo as the 28th best Small Place (http://www.forbes.com/business/2002/05/09/bestplaces.html).  The rankings are based on "government and wage growth over one- and five-year periods." 

San Angelo is a community that supports small business growth and development.

In early 2007, San Angelo’s airport (Mathis Field) received some major updates. The original airport has now expanded by 8‚000 square feet. The terminal can comfortably handle 250 people – compared to the modest 35 that fit in the old terminal. It also has three boarding gates‚ two of them with passenger boarding bridges or jetways.

San Angelo supports a variety of industries from medical and retirement facilities to high-technology companies which provide computer and information systems, programmers, engineers, telecommunications, and support specialists.

Goodfellow Air Force Base lends to the city’s diversity with a large supply of highly-skilled and knowledgeable workers. 

San Angelo offers three U.S. highways; railroad services which connect the Mexico rail system to the main U.S. rail corridors in Fort Worth, Texas; motor freight services; overnight delivery services; bus services; air services; taxi services; automobile rentals; and a city transit system.

San Angelo has a business community with the expertise to help you grow and expand.

The business community offers an abundance of CPAs, lawyers, financial and human resource companies as well as numerous other business support services, all with the knowledge to help you build your business.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Angelo State University has been helping small businesses in the Concho Valley region succeed for over 20 years.  The SBDC offers free professional and confidential business consulting and also offers workshops and seminars on topics relevant to small business concerns. (http://angelo.edu/services/sbdc/)

The Chamber of Commerce can also provide business services such as help in finding available land and buildings (http://www.sanangelo.org/).  San Angelo has a new Visitor Center, right on the Concho River.  Thousands of tourists and business people pass through the Center every year.

San Angelo is the home of one of the best universities in Texas, Angelo State University (http://www.angelo.edu/), which provides both research and resources (including a knowledgeable and skilled work force) for small, growing businesses.  The City is also the home of Howard College, American Commercial College, and the West Texas Training Center (WTTC).

The San Angelo Independent School District provides its students with an exceptional education and  consists of two high schools, one freshman campus, four junior highs, and eighteen elementary schools, with an average total enrollment of 13,947 students.  (http://www.saisd.org/)

San Angelo has an 11% to 17% lower cost of living than most cities in the state of Texas. 

San Angelo has a low housing cost (10.8% below the national average) and is a determining factor in creating a cost of living that is 89.2% of the national average, which in turn helps employers keep their overhead costs low.  The Chamber participates in an American Community Survey in order to gage relative costs between over 300 cities nationwide, and includes groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods.

San Angelo’s property tax rate is $2.46332 per $100.00 of assessed value.  Further, the State of Texas mandates a $15,000 homestead exemption for all Texas homes and San Angelo’s Independent School District provides up to an additional 20% exemption above the $15,000 baseline.

San Angelo’s sales tax is at 8.25% with no personal income tax requirements.

Lastly, the city offers personal property and real estate tax abatements ranging from 20% to 75%, Inventory Tax exemptions of up to 100%, an enterprise zone for sale tax refunds, as well as an economic development corporation which provides monetary incentives for job creation and retention for qualified companies.

San Angelo offers a great quality of life. 

There are many cultural arts events available in San Angelo, including a civic theatre, symphony, and a nationally-recognized museum of fine arts. San Angelo also offers an orchestra, ballet, a jazz series at the Cactus Hotel, Sealy Flats, and The Oasis and a Blues Festival at the River Stage, and the state's oldest civic theater.

Other activities and benefits include: 

• Year-round recreational activities and sports, such as golf, baseball, football, and many others
• Great hunting, including deer, turkey, and quail
• One of the biggest and best rodeos in the United States
• Professional sports; including minor league baseball, San Angelo Colts, and arena football teams, Stampede Express 
• Recreational activities on three area lakes and rivers for boating, fishing, and fun
• Numerous choices for fine dining, and an exciting variety of night life options

The average annual temperature is 64.9 degrees, with average highs of 78.1, and lows of 51.6. San Angelo receives 154 days of sunshine each year, and the average rainfall is 20.45 inches. 

An impressive variety of shopping opportunities, including national chain stores such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Target, JC Penney, Wal-Mart, Pier 1 Imports, and Best Buy. The Sunset Mall provides an inviting assortment of fashion, antique and country collectible shops. Stores include Barbed Wire and Roses, Dillards, Bealls, Sunglass Hut, Wet Seal, Aeropostale, and American Eagle.

San Angelo has a historic downtown district with a river running through it. Historic Downtown San Angelo also has an internationally renowned museum and possesses a cultural and artisitic community surpassing all expectations. This district is a mix of modern art and Western heritage create a socially inclusive experience.

Historic downtown also consists of Concho Avenue. This was the first street in “Santa Angela”. The avenue shares simple charm with delightful country collectibles and memorabilia. The colorful history of Concho Avenue and downtown San Angelo is reflected in the stores and buildings.

Whether browsing through antique malls or designer fashion stores, having lunch at a tavern, enjoying music at the watering hole or reliving history in the "Best Little Bordello Museum in Texas” -- Miss Hattie's -- you are guaranteed a wonderful time.
Around every downtown corner, you will find more enticing and delectable treasures, many historical buildings and, most of all, friendly people.

There are also many communities within driving distance around San Angelo that support business in San Angelo.

Come join a city where we preserve the traditional heritage of the Old West while providing all the advantages of a thriving, contemporary city.