The recently released 2009 Kosmont Cost of Doing Business Survey ranked the City of Santa Clarita among the “Ten Least Expensive Cities in Los Angeles County” in 2009 based on analysis of the overall cost of doing business within the community. 

Joining Santa Clarita in the top 10 list (in alphabetical order) include the cities of: Agoura Hills, Bell Gardens, Cerritos, Diamond Bar, Glendora, Lancaster, Signal Hill, Walnut, and Westlake Village.

The City of Santa Clarita continues to offer businesses a lower cost option to doing business than other California cities such as Palmdale, Glendale, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica in this annual report covering 410 cities across the Country.

Santa Clarita is ranked as “low cost” compared to the Cities of Los Angeles and Pasadena which are both ranked as “very high cost.” Santa Clarita does not have a business tax while other cities have a business tax based on gross receipts, number of employees or a flat rate. Additionally, Santa Clarita does not have a utility tax saving local businesses between 5 -7 percent compared to cities with a utility user tax.

“In the last few years Santa Clarita has proven why it was named Los Angeles County’s Most Business Friendly City,” said Mayor Laurene Weste.  “By keeping costs low, Santa Clarita has been able to attract employers and grow the local workforce in a time when many of our neighboring cities are seeing significant job loss.”

The 2009 Kosmont Cost of Doing Business Survey ranks cities in California and throughout the nation based on municipal taxes and fees, including business taxes, utility taxes, sales and property taxes, transient occupancy taxes, and a variety of development impact fees and exactions.

For more information on the 2009 Kosmont Cost of Doing Business Survey, please visit their website at www.kosmont-rose.com