April 24, 2013 2 min read

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A brilliant business idea means nothing if you can't get it off the ground. For aspiring entrepreneurs looking for ample funding and a fertile environment to strike out on their own, a new report from personal finance website NerdWallet ranks the 10 best cities to start a business in the U.S.

To gauge the health of small-business lending in each city, NerdWallet analyzed business loans made by community banks in 2012. The researchers also considered business friendliness and assessed the local economies based on the average income of residents, the unemployment rate and the cost of living. Education levels and population growth measured available talent.

Each with two cities on the list, Oklahoma and Texas are featured prominently. Offering affordable living and plenty of financing, the regions may be up-and-coming entrepreneurial hotbeds.

Related: The Best and Worst U.S. Cities to Launch a Business