Mar 28, 2025
The Most and Least Innovative States

Key Takeaways:
- The District of Columbia leads with the highest share of people employed in science, technology, engineering, and math.
- Massachusetts, home to innovative schools like MIT, ranks second in innovation, with its tech sector contributing nearly 13% of the state's gross product.
- WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key indicators of innovation-friendliness.
- The U.S. spends more than $800 billion per year on research and development.