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
Kansas City near last place among startup hubs for digital economy readiness
Kansas City’s poor performance in attracting talent and its limited access to investment capital puts it at a disadvantage for the forthcoming digital economy, a recent study found. The national “Innovation That Matters” study analyzed 25 large startup hubs’ readiness for the digital economy, noting that Kansas City has room for significant improvement with its…
Raise a glass to entrepreneurship during 1Week KC’s 5th anniversary
We honor all the best things in life — weddings, birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs to name a few — why shouldn’t we celebrate entrepreneurship? In Kansas City, we have a day — or seven — for just that. 1Week KC, which aims to connect and celebrate area entrepreneurs through 10 events, will begin as any…
Swappa re-homes millions worth of smartphones
About 90 million Americans say they swap out their smartphone every two years, according to a 2015 Gallup study. That means every day about 123,000 used smartphones either find a new owner or a dark home in a drawer, frittering away their value. But one Kansas City startup is already helping thousands of used-smartphone owners…
Amazon’s delivery backlash and 800 robots descend on St. Louis
In this week’s roundup of watercooler talk from the region’s startup hubs, we have the dish on Amazon’s digital divide backpedaling, St. Louis’ international robotics competition and Denver’s vibrant city culture. Check out more in this series here.a ChicagoInno: Amid controversy, Amazon is finally bringing same-day delivery to the South Side And the backpedaling continues.…
