Entrepreneurs with million-dollar ideas but lacking a Bay Area budget might consider the Valley or, a little further south, Tucson.
San Francisco insurance company Embroker pegged both Arizona cities as among the 10 most affordable U.S. locations to launch a startup in a recent study.
Its conclusions are based on factors including rents, median base salary, fees and corporate taxes, as well as other costs such as energy.
The website also ranked the six most-expensive cities in terms of office rents, with San Francisco ($6.83 per square foot) and New York City ($5.87) topping the list.