Economic Climate

According to the Memphis Chamber of Commerce, millions of people come to Memphis for its food, arts community, and history. The savviest ones discover a great place to do business. Low tax rates, an attractive cost of living, and affordable real estate create an ideal business climate. Success is practically guaranteed with tax incentives, infrastructure support, and a skilled workforce.

• Time Magazine report by David Johnson listed Memphis #4 in “The Top 25 Cities Where Millennials are Moving.” 
• Forbes magazine ranked Memphis fourth on its list of “The Happiest Cities to Work in Right Now,”
• WalletHub ranked our city seventh in the nation for entrepreneurs.
• Memphis is the place for BBQ and so many other great food options. Read about Memphis Travel's BBQ options or venture to other eateries covered by Food and Wine.

Arts Climate

In 2017 ArtsMemphis made a  formal announcement of the findings included in the Arts and Economic Prosperity V ("AEP5"), Americans for the Arts (AFTA) report, a year-long research study in partnership with the Tennessee Arts Commission.  Over the course of 2015, the project involved 14,439 arts groups across the country, including more than 600 organizations in Tennessee, and more than 70 in Shelby County. 

View video (above) for remarks by Phil Trenary (President & CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber), Anne Pope (Executive Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission), Ritche Manley Bowden (Chair of the Tennessee Arts Commission), Elizabeth Rouse (President & CEO of ArtsMemphis), and Lucy Lee (Board Chair of ArtsMemphis). Video is Courtesy of Arts Memphis and Tennessee Arts Commission.

• Young Collectors Contemporary 2016 was a featured stop by Marcus Samuelsson and The Lee Brothers for Garden and Gun Magazine.
• The Made By Report features the needs of local small batch makers, artisans, and entrepreneurs in Shelby County. 
• Organizations such as the Epicenter are leading in providing resources for creative entrepreneurs in Memphis.