WYOMING – When it comes to innovation, Wyoming sits squarely in the middle of the pack. We’ve been leaders in some respects and have work to do in others.
America is ranked #4 in the Global Innovation Index (Switzerland, Sweden, and the Netherlands are 1,2,3) but some states are contributing more than others, according to WalletHub financial writer Adam McCann.
According to WalletHub’s analysis of “Most Innovative States” for 2018, Wyoming ranks 27th in the country. The research included indicators like number of STEM professionals working in-state, 8th grade math/science performance, R&D spending, and even internet speed (Idaho finished dead last with slowest average speeds).
Wyoming didn’t budge from its 27th spot in 2017 though the state’s overall score improved some.
In order to determine the most and least innovative states, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, “Human Capital” and “Innovation Environment.”
“We evaluated those dimensions using 22 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for innovation,” McCann wrote. “We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its ‘State Innovation Index’ and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.”
