Report: Missouri is a top 10 state to launch a business

July 5, 2017  |  Meghan LeVota

Photo by Paul Sableman

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.

Source: WalletHub
startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2017 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        MidxMidwest teases lineup for three-day investor-innovation event (and the startup party of the year)

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        Building on Kansas City’s ambitious spirit, a new blend of music, startups and community is expected to meet at the crossroads of innovation, said Alexa Heying, pulling back the curtain on plans for the region’s flagship Midwest tech conference. “The goal of MidxMidwest is to create the connective tissue between founders, investors, and corporates so…

        Peek inside: Buffalo State Pizza takes another slice of ownership with fresh-baked downtown OP relocation

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        Three decades of pizza at a popular downtown Overland Park corner might have come to a close this week, as the crew at Buffalo State Pizza Co. picked up the last of what they could carry and walked it a half block down the street to the shop’s new home near another local favorite, The…

        One cabin, one chair, one cut: Barber swaps rushed for rustic at his no-distractions shop in the woods

        By Tommy Felts | October 31, 2025

        LONE JACK, Mo. — A short drive to visit this barber — his cabin tucked away in the oaks and hickories about 35 minutes from the heart Kansas City — is about more than just the journey to a great hair cut, Micah Holdaway said; it’s about the experience. After running Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio in…

        Q&A: Troy Nash grew up in public housing; now he’s leading real estate innovation at UMKC

        By Tommy Felts | October 30, 2025

        Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click here to read the original story. [divide] Executive MBA professor named new real estate center director With more than two decades of leadership in public-private partnerships, economic development and community engagement, Troy Nash will serve as director of the Lewis…