The Best (And Worst) States For Entrepreneurship And Innovation

Solution providers looking for expansion opportunities and entrepreneurs dreaming of starting their own solution provider business should consider states with business environments that foster innovation.

Innovation Nation

Even in a down economy, established and startup solution providers will find more opportunities for expansion and growth in states that foster entrepreneurial, innovative business environments. It’s why so much of the U.S. IT industry is clustered around a handful of technology hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston, Seattle, Austin, Texas, and the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina.

As part of the Best States project, we’ve identified which states have the most–and the least–to offer solution providers in terms of entrepreneurship and innovation potential. The following are the top 10 and bottom 10 states with thriving IT industries, established and startup IT businesses, skilled IT workers in the hundreds of thousands, and track records of innovation and productivity.

Much of the data and rankings included in this analysis came from the CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report, including each state’s tech sector as a percentage of its total gross state product, technology industry employment and technology business establishments. That report also provided an innovation ranking for each state.

The Bloomberg 2020 State Innovation Index provided data about research and development and patent activity for each state as well as its own rankings of state innovation.

Best States No. 10: Minnesota

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 9.0 percent (No. 16)

Tech Business Establishments: 11,313 (No. 19)

Tech Industry Employment: 251,706 (No. 18)

Patent Activity: No. 9

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 16

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 11

Best States No. 9: New Jersey

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 9.6 percent (No. 15)

Tech Business Establishments: 15,919 (No. 13)

Tech Industry Employment: 342,795 (No. 14)

Patent Activity: No. 16

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 13

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 7

Best States No. 8: Maryland

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 11.8 percent (No. 8)

Tech Business Establishments: 15,763 (No. 14)

Tech Industry Employment: 296,006 (No. 16)

Patent Activity: No. 41

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 14

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 6

Best States No. 7: Oregon

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 13.3 percent (No. 7)

Tech Business Establishments: 8,015 (No. 24)

Tech Industry Employment: 166,563 (No. 23)

Patent Activity: No. 3

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 21

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 5

Best States No. 6: Texas

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 8.3 percent (No. 17)

Tech Business Establishments: 41,824 (No. 3)

Tech Industry Employment: 1,025,106 (No. 2)

Patent Activity: No. 18

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 4

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 15

Best States No. 5: Colorado

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 14.3 percent (No. 4)

Tech Business Establishments: 17,852 (No. 9)

Tech Industry Employment: 305,708 (No. 15)

Patent Activity: No. 23

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 5

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 10

Best States No. 4: New York

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 8.0 percent (No. 18)

Tech Business Establishments: 26,454 (No. 5)

Tech Industry Employment: 679,083 (No. 3)

Patent Activity: No. 12

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 2

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 14

Best States No. 3: Massachusetts

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 17.2 percent (No. 3)

Tech Business Establishments: 17,957 (No. 8)

Tech Industry Employment: 440,793 (No. 8)

Patent Activity: No. 5

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 10

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 2

Best States No. 2: Washington

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 20.2 percent (No. 1)

Tech Business Establishments: 15,661 (No. 15)

Tech Industry Employment: 392,020 (No. 11)

Patent Activity: No. 4

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 8

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 3

Best States No. 1: California

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 18.1 percent (No. 2)

Tech Business Establishments: 66,084 (No. 2)

Tech Industry Employment: 1,866,951 (No. 1)

Patent Activity: No. 1

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 1

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 1

Worst States No. 41: Louisiana

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 3.3 percent (No. 48)

Tech Business Establishments: 5,597 (No. 30)

Tech Industry Employment: 85,553 (No. 32)

Patent Activity: No. 39

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 26

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 47

Worst States No. 42: Wyoming

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 2.8 percent (No. 50)

Tech Business Establishments: 1,093 (No. 49)

Tech Industry Employment: 9,361 (No. 50)

Patent Activity: No. 31

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 44

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 29

Worst States No. 43: North Dakota

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 4.0 percent (No. 42)

Tech Business Establishments: 1,322 (No. 48)

Tech Industry Employment: 22,790 (No. 46)

Patent Activity: No. 41

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 50

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 45

Worst States No. 44: Maine

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 5.1 percent (No. 35)

Tech Business Establishments: 2,802 (No. 42)

Tech Industry Employment: 37,815 (No. 40)

Patent Activity: No. 37

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 47

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 37

Worst States No. 45: Hawaii

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 3.8 percent (No. 44)

Tech Business Establishments: 2,194 (No. 45)

Tech Industry Employment: 30,804 (No. 43)

Patent Activity: No. 49

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 39

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 34

Worst States No. 46: Montana

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 4.3 percent (No. 40)

Tech Business Establishments: 2,460 (No. 43)

Tech Industry Employment: 23,442 (No. 45)

Patent Activity: No. 44

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 41

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 44

Worst States No. 47: South Dakota

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 4.3 percent (No. 40)

Tech Business Establishments: 1,509 (No. 47)

Tech Industry Employment: 21,737 (No. 48)

Patent Activity: No. 40

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 51, rankings include Washington, D.C.

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 43

Worst States No. 48: Arkansas

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 3.5 percent (No. 45)

Tech Business Establishments: 3,776 (No. 37)

Tech Industry Employment: 56,219 (No. 37)

Patent Activity: No. 38

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 40

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 48

Worst States No. 49: Mississippi

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 3.4 percent (No. 47)

Tech Business Establishments: 3,195 (No. 40)

Tech Industry Employment: 44,384 (No. 39)

Patent Activity: No. 47

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 46

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 50

Worst States No. 50: West Virginia

Tech Sector Percent of Total Gross State Product: 3.3 percent (No. 48)

Tech Business Establishments: 2,306 (No. 44)

Tech Industry Employment: 30,480 (No. 44)

Patent Activity: No. 48

CompTIA 2020 Cyberstates Report Innovation: No. 49

Bloomberg 2020 U.S. State Innovation Index: No. 49