100 best places to live and launch

Population: 22,291
Pro: Lively small-town atmosphere
Con: Few cultural opportunities within city limits

While Owings Mills is typically considered a bedroom community, the small town offers a great deal to relocating businesses. Startups benefit from the county's small-business loan partnership, which provides real estate, fixed asset, and working capital loans of up to $500,000 to firms with less than 75 employees. Baltimore metro transit connects Owings Mills to the Baltimore business district, and the town boasts the highest concentration of young professionals in the country.

Residents are attracted by diverse neighborhoods, a wide array of restaurants, and the expansive Owings Mills Mall. An abundance of cultural and recreational alternatives can be found in Baltimore, less than half an hour away. -Kelsey Abbott and Mina Kimes

Interactive map: Owings Mills, Md.
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