Our recommended states & locations

Where you set up in the US should be driven first and foremost by business factors.

• Where are my customers?
• Where will I find the right people?
• Which location fits my brand?
• Is there a hub for my industry?
• What do I like best as an entrepreneur?

We help you build your US business anywhere in the United States. For our services, your company's location makes no difference.

But if you ask me for a recommendation, I'll suggest one of the following US metros. I picked them on several criteria, such as how easy they are to reach from Europe, their economic weight and how popular they are with clients.

I know each of these cities well. I lived for several years in two of them and know the others from many visits.

In every one of these locations we have the network you need: local accountants, attorneys and other service providers.

Here are the locations:

1Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital of Texas and one of the fastest-growing major cities in the US. I lived in Austin for three years myself, and if I have my way, I'll be going back.

Austin is well on its way to becoming a second Silicon Valley. Dell comes from Austin. IBM, Facebook, Google, Apple and plenty of other tech giants now have very large offices there. Samsung has been making chips in the Austin area for around three decades. No wonder Austin is buzzing with start-ups and venture capital firms.

Another big company born in Austin is Whole Foods, the international organic grocery chain. As you can probably guess, Austin is also the organic capital of the US. Eat local and many other trends are lived here with real passion.

Austin always reminds me of my hometown, Freiburg: a green, left-leaning stronghold full of students in the middle of a deeply conservative state.

More on forming a company in Austin, TX →

2Miami, Florida

Little is left of the seedy Scarface Miami of the early eighties. I lived in Miami for three years myself. An acquaintance of mine worked homicide back in the Miami Vice days, but was eased into early retirement because the murder rate had dropped so sharply. Where there used to be one murder a day, today there is maybe one a month.

I first got to know Miami through the show CSI: Miami (a mix of scenes shot in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and California), and I was hooked straight away. It pulled me in like a magnet until, in 2008, I opened an office there and made the leap across the pond with my whole family. I have never regretted it.

Miami is the party town people usually take it for only if you're a tourist. Otherwise, a huge amount of business gets done in Miami. The scene is incredibly international: Latin Americans everywhere, of course, but also lots of Germans, Italians and Russians. Picture this: a remarkable number of wealthy people move to Miami or at least spend a large part of the year there.

In Miami, business really happens everywhere, just in a relaxed atmosphere, in a bar for example. I've always loved the Design District. In recent years it has grown into a major creative hub, home to design and fashion labels from all over the world.

And now, finally, a word about the weather. Especially in winter (October to March) it's a dream: warm, dry, not too hot, and you can still take a dip in the pool every day. Summer (April to September) is hot and stormy, with rain every day and incredibly high humidity. But honestly, with air conditioning even that is pretty easy to live with.

More on forming a company in Miami, FL →

3New York City, New York

Many Americans say New York isn't the "real" America, yet it is the most American of all US cities. Abroad especially, people instantly link the USA with New York. And since September 11, 2001, Americans themselves have identified far more strongly with the "Big Apple".

New York has by far the highest tax burden in the US, followed by California. 64% of the state's total income tax is paid by just 80,000 people. And that in a city of around 8.6 million residents.

Those 80,000 are, of course, the top earners of the much-maligned finance industry. New York City is the city of finance. Wall Street is the mecca of the global banking and finance industry (or shares that title with London). Made famous, and infamous, by the film of the same name and by "The Wolf of Wall Street", some forms of this kind of capitalism are viewed rather critically today.

New York City is also the city of fashion, on a par with Paris. And nowhere are restaurant critics tougher than in New York. Does your business fit this world, this mix of creativity and capital? If so, New York City is the right place for your company.

More on forming a company in New York City, NY →

4San Francisco, California

San Francisco and the Bay Area, or Silicon Valley, are still the center of the universe for internet companies.

Even though California, along with New York, has the highest state taxes, the trend shows no sign of slowing. Proof once again that the tax rate isn't everything. Especially when, as a tech start-up, you aren't making a profit anyway.

Because we have many clients in the internet space, California is one of the most requested locations among our clients. The networking opportunities are simply phenomenal. If you work in the industry, you'll find like-minded people everywhere: at Starbucks, on the golf course or at the beach.

Silicon Valley aside, San Francisco is a fantastic city. California as a whole is a dream. The sunlight there is warmer and richer, perhaps thanks to the pleasantly dry air and the mountains that dominate the horizon.

Sadly, the weather in San Francisco, and across Northern California, is often cold and foggy. But the Napa Valley wine country isn't far, and tech giants often head there for company outings.

More on forming a company in San Francisco, CA →

5Wilmington, Delaware

Delaware was one of the original 13 states that rose up against the British and, after the bloody Revolutionary War, won America its independence. Because Delaware was the first state to ratify the US Constitution, on December 7, 1787, it still proudly calls itself "The First State".

Wilmington is a fairly small city with just 70,000 residents. It sits right next to the much larger Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Despite its size, Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware.

Delaware has by far the largest number of registered corporations of any US state. The main reason is that Delaware has the most business-friendly corporate law of all US states. Its company registry also offers an even higher level of confidentiality than other states.

Tax-wise, Delaware offers fewer advantages than you might think. The tax benefits mainly matter to large American corporations that are taxable in several US states.

More on forming a company in Wilmington, DE →

6How to choose

Choose your location mainly on practical grounds. I'd venture that most so-called location drawbacks, such as high taxes, are easily outweighed by business success and a strategy that works. The reverse is rarely true.

If you fall into one of the special categories, choosing a location may be more complex and call for careful analysis and a cost-benefit assessment. How the state and the legal form work together is explained on our page US state & US legal form.

7All states, DC & Puerto Rico at a glance

Information on the economy, administration and taxes (including income tax, corporate tax and sales tax) for every single state.

Read more →

In short

• Your US location should be driven mainly by business factors: customers, staff, brand, industry and what you personally like.
• We support you anywhere in the US; if you ask, we recommend Austin, Miami, New York City, San Francisco and Wilmington.
• Each city has its own profile, from the tech scene in Austin and San Francisco to the world of finance in New York.
• Location drawbacks such as high taxes can usually be outweighed by business success; the reverse is rarely true.

How we help you

• US Company FormationLLC, Inc or LP in Delaware, Florida, California, New York, Texas or Wyoming.
• Company formation consultationEntity type, state and tax consequences, before you commit.
• Form a CorporationThe US corporation (Inc) for growth, investors and your visa.
• Form an LLCThe US LLC with a permanent establishment, turnkey in six states.
• Form a Limited PartnershipThe US LP for structures with a general partner and limited partners.