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
New national CAPS Network grows from local program
The Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies is helping create a national consortium that will band together schools to boost an innovative education model. Blue Valley CAPS executive director Corey Mohn said that his program often receives interest from other schools to learn about its curriculum, which pushes students to collaborate with businesses and other professionals in…
Events Preview: Innovation Summit, American Royal
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW Founder Series: Gaining Working Capital Without Losing Equity When: October 1 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Where: Enterprise Center of Johnson…
KC startup boosts overseas businesses
Holly Godfrey’s business partners are in India, Nepal and Rwanda. The timing works well, since their daytime falls during her nighttime. As she gets ready to shift her focus from her full-time day job as the rehabilitation manager at Truman Medical Center to her startup, Catalyst Scrubs, her colleagues abroad are just beginning their day.…
Report: Kansas City is ‘meh’ for millennial entrepreneurs
A recent survey found that young entrepreneurs view Kansas City as a rather pedestrian locale to launch a business. Millennial entrepreneurs ranked Kansas City as the 30th best city to start a business, according to a Thumbtack survey of about 3,700 entrepreneurs aged 34 and under. Thumbtack, which created a marketplace that connects professional service…
