By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Sep 27, 2005 at 9:30 AM

The Milwaukee-Racine region is ranked among the top 20 hottest U.S. city regions for entrepreneurs, according to the October issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. Based on business formation and business growth information from the National Policy Research Council out of Washington, D.C., the Milwaukee region surpassed other large U.S. cities in the ranking, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco-San Jose, Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The rankings were determined in part by the number of new businesses with at least 5 employees and by the growth of existing businesses. Some of the common characteristics among the 'hottest' cities are pleasant climates, good universities and capacious airports.

"Entrepreneurs are discovering the Milwaukee Advantage as we have a ready workforce, an accessible transportation system and the amenities of a large city yet we are a more affordable place to be," said Mayor Tom Barrett.