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

        C2FO accesses $30M investment with World Bank-backed IFC to expand KC firm’s working capital platform

        By Tommy Felts | April 14, 2025

        A just-announced capital infusion for Leawood-built C2FO reflects a shared commitment with global partners to boosting jobs and strengthening economic opportunities — notably for micro, small and medium enterprises in emerging markets worldwide. The $30 million funding round features investment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and existing…

        Park capping I-670 gets an official name: South Loop project to honor longtime Republican bridge-builder

        By Tommy Felts | April 12, 2025

        Kansas City’s high-profile South Loop Project — a proposed sustainable urban park capping a portion of I-670 — now has a name that pays homage to a leader who played a key role in launching the project: Roy Blunt Luminary Park. “As a working title, the South Loop Project has served us well,” said Jeff…

        Not just a pet project: Why this KC e-commerce team adopted a dog supplement brand as its own

        By Tommy Felts | April 12, 2025

        The Morgans — the family behind Marknology, a bootstrapped digital marketing firm specializing in Amazon sales — are taking a dog supplement brand that they built as a client to the next level now as owners, they shared. Waggedy — veterinarian-formulated supplements to keep dogs healthy and active, launched by Ben Bellinson in 2015 in…

        She’s the mixologist of melt: Jess Priemer blends a cocktail of Kansas City into candle scents

        By Tommy Felts | April 10, 2025

        With niche blends like 18th & Vine (whiskey, tobacco, and rose) and KC BBQ (hickory, oak, and BBQ sauce), Jess Priemer evokes memories and local landmarks with the lighting of each wick. Her candles are the best part of what makes Kansas City uniquely home, she said. “I love this city, like everybody else around…