Report: Missouri is a top 10 state to launch a business
July 5, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
A recent study dubbed Missouri as one of the top 10 states to start a business.
The report was assembled by personal finance website WalletHub and aimed to determine which region held the most fertile grounds for launching an enterprise. Evaluating all 50 states’ business environments, access to resources and business costs, the report ranked Missouri No. 9.
WalletHub analysts determined these numbers by assessing 20 differently-weighted indicators of startup success — with business environment being the most critical to a state’s overall score.
Missouri earned its high ranking due to the state’s business environment, which was ranked No. 10 nationally. This metric was calculated by indicators such as startups per capita, five-year business survival rate, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s entrepreneurship index and more.
Although Missouri fared well overall, the state’s access to resources score is below average. This indicator is calculated via indicators such as financing accessibility, venture capital per capita and human capital availability.
Another area of improvement for Missouri is its total spending on incentives as a share of GDP. The Show Me State ranked 49 out of 50 in this metric, which is calculated by The New York Times’ database of government spending on business incentives.
Kansas nabbed an overall No. 34 ranking in the study. Although below Missouri, Kansas’ access to resources beat out the Show Me State.
Kansas’ business environment — No. 38 nationally — ranked significantly lower than Missouri’s. Yet the state’s access to resources and business costs yielded the Sunflower State a comfortable, middle rank.
North Dakota, Texas and Utah earned the top three spots, respectively.
To see the complete ranking, see the interactive map below.

2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
With data pouring in, leaders discuss what’s next for the Smart City
As Kansas City’s Smart City initiative wraps up its first phase, advisory board members on Monday began looking to the future of the public-private project. Since the initiative’s launch in 2016, the City of Kansas City, Mo. has established itself as a leader in smart city infrastructure, KCMO innovation analyst Kate Garman said. But while…
Athlete Network adds hall-of-famer Warren Moon to its roster
It’s not everyday that you add a hall-of-fame quarterback to your team. In establishing a new, high-impact advisory board, Athlete Network has landed former NFL superstar Warren Moon as a team member that will help guide the startup moving forward. Moon previously played for the Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings and other pro teams, racking up…
2017 Sprint Accelerator class makes its KC introductions at 1 Million Cups
Less than two weeks into the program, the 2017 Sprint Accelerator cohort introduced themselves to the community on Wednesday at 1 Million Cups. The accelerator recently welcomed seven startups representing its two tracks — ag tech and digital — that arrives from all around the country. Hailing from states like Texas, New York, Florida, Georgia…
New book on Gen Z workforce taps Blue Valley CAPS
A book dissecting the behaviors of “Generation Z” entering the workforce has featured a Kansas City-area education program for its innovative model. Written by David and Jonah Stillman and published in March, Gen Z @ Work highlighted the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies as a model that’s better preparing students for an evolving…
