The most affordable SC metro market for startups is the Columbia area.

According to the financial planning site Smart Asset, the metro area including Lexington County ranked 4th overall.

The average startup cost is $246,833.

That put us just behind Greensboro, NC, Chattanooga, TN, and Wichita, KS.

It costs about $17,811 to rent 1,000 sq. ft. of office space for a business’s first year here. Payroll costs for 5 employees average around $223,392. Utilities cost about $1,801.

Total startup costs were estimated to be slightly lower last year, about $241,000.

All but one of the top 10 cities are in the South.

The costliest place for startups is San Jose, Calif., where it takes an average of over $452,000 to get a business going.

New York City had the highest average cost for office space, almost $76,000 for a year.