With the U.S. ranking third out of 132 countries in the latest Global Innovation Index, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2024’s Most & Least Innovative States, as well as expert commentary.
In order to give credit to the states that have contributed the most to America’s innovative success, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key metrics. The data set ranges from the share of STEM professionals to R&D spending per capita.
| Most Innovative States | Least Innovative States |
| 1. District of Columbia | 42. Nebraska |
| 2. Massachusetts | 43. Oklahoma |
| 3. Washington | 44. Kentucky |
| 4. California | 45. Iowa |
| 5. Colorado | 46. Kansas |
| 6. Maryland | 47. Arkansas |
| 7. Virginia | 48. North Dakota |
| 8. Delaware | 49. West Virginia |
| 9. Utah | 50. Louisiana |
| 10. New Jersey | 51. Mississippi |
Key Stats
- The District of Columbia has the highest share of STEM professionals, which is 3.3 times higher than in Mississippi, the lowest.
- Delaware has the highest share of technology companies, which is four times higher than in North Dakota, the lowest.
- New Mexico has the highest research and development (R&D) intensity, which is 13.8 times higher than in Louisiana and South Dakota, the lowest.
