ALBANY, N.Y. -- Albany is ranked as the fifth best place in the eastern United States for small businesses, according to a new survey by the Business Journal's "On Numbers."

Albany rose to fifth after being ranked seventh last year.

The top four places in the region were Pittsburgh, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Rochester.

Factors that are considered include population growth, concentration of small businesses and year to year growth in the number of small businesses.

At the bottom of the list for the eastern U.S. was Springfield, Massachusetts.