A new study looks at innovation across the country and ranks Washington, D.C. as the most innovative “state” in the country. Maryland placed fourth.
Innovation is considered an important factor in economic growth, according to the the personal finance website WalletHub.
The study compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on two categories and 22 key metrics to rank each state for being friendly to innovation. The two broad categories are “Human Capital” and “Innovation Environment.” The 22 metrics include the share of STEM professionals, R&D spending per capita, the number of invention patents, and the share of technology companies. Maryland ranked third for human capital and seventh for innovation environment.
The study found that Maryland has the third highest share of STEM professionals and science and engineering graduates. And Maryland has the fourth highest share of technology companies—behind D.C., Virginia, and Delaware.
The top five most innovative states in the country, according to WalletHub, are the District of Columbia (#1), Massachusetts (#2), Washington (#3), Maryland (#4), and California (#5).
The study was completed through the help of economic experts from Pace University, The University of St. Thomas, University of California, University at Albany, University of Tennessee at Martin, and University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
Data used to create this ranking was collected from U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science Foundation, National Center for Education Statistics, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Gust.com, Tax Foundation, Consumer Technology Association, U.S. Cluster Mapping Project, Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, The Computing Technology Industry Association, HighSpeedInternet.com, Code.org Advocacy Coalition and National Venture Capital Association.
Visit WalletHub’s website for more information on the study.
Related:
REGENXBIO Manufacturing Innovation Center Opens in Rockville
IgnITe Hub for ‘Next Generation of IT Professionals’ Opens at Montgomery College in Rockville
MCPS, County Expedite Upgrade of Network Bandwidth Capacity to Meet New Demands
