Ranked 4th in the state behind Lafayette, Bloomington, and Columbus, Muncie’s low cost of conducting business has helped propel the metropolitan statistical area into the top 50 small places for business and career in the nation according to a recent report by Forbes.

Though ranked 109th in job growth and 102nd in education, the total metro gross product reached $4.7 B as of 2016. Not too bad for a rust belt city with a metro population of 116,800, the 53rd smallest of the 200 locations listed in the Forbes report.

Source – Forbes – Best Small Places for Business and Careers (2016 ranking).