A recent report found Florida is among the 20 most innovative states in the United States, a good sign as the state vies to become the next big tech hub.
To create the rankings, WalletHub evaluated each state as well as Washington, D.C. on two key categories: human capital and innovation environment.
Human capital included the share of science, technology, engineering and math professionals in a state, projected STEM job demand by 2028 and scientific knowledge output. The innovation environment included a state’s share of technology companies, research and development spending per capita and venture capital funding per capita.
Florida ranked as the 20th most innovative state earning the 19th-best innovation environment score and the 23rd-best human capital.
A high spot on this report shows both the progress Florida has made toward becoming a hub for technology and also serves to highlight areas of growth.
Here is how Florida performed in specific categories:
- 40th: Share of STEM professionals
- 39th: Projected STEM job demand by 2028
- 35th: Eighth-grade math and science performance
- 32nd: Share of science and engineering graduates aged 25+
- 20th: Share of technology companies
- 38th: Research and development spending per capita
- 25th: Venture capital funding per capita
Massachusetts ranked as the most innovative state, given Boston’s strong technology sector. Other top states include Washington, D.C., Washington state, Maryland and Virginia. The least innovative states included Mississippi, Louisiana, North Dakota and West Virginia.
The full report can be found here.
