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Delaware ranks 13th in a listing of innovative states.
The ranking from the WalletHub financial information website listed Washington, D.C. in first place, followed by neighboring Maryland.
Mississippi and West Virginia ranked 50th and 51st respectively.
WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 18 key indicators of innovation-friendliness. The data set ranges from share of STEM professionals to R&D spending per capita to tech-company density.
Delaware is aided by research and development activities and a large population of researchers and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) professionals.
However, the state has seen the loss of research jobs at DuPont and other employers and is not a hotbed for technology companies.
The state and private sector have been active in the technology with programs like Zip Code Wilmington, an intense computer coding “boot camp” that aims to address a shortage of tech workers.
