Innovation is a principal driver of U.S. economic growth. In 2018, the U.S. will spend an estimated $553 billion on research and development — more than any other country in the world and over 25% of the world’s total — helping the nation rank No. 4 on the Global Innovation Index. According to the results of the ranking, knowledge and technology outputs are America’s particular strengths.
But certain states deserve more credit than others for America’s dominance in the tech era. These states continue to grow innovation through investments in education, research and business creation, especially in highly specialized industries.
Related: New group set to promote, advance Arizona tech growth
In order to recognize the nation’s biggest contributors, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 22 key indicators of innovation-friendliness. Our data set ranges from share of STEM professionals to R&D spending per capita to tech-company density. Read on for our findings, commentary from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology.
