Home Ideas Economy Milwaukee and Wisconsin still rank low for startup activity

Milwaukee and Wisconsin still rank low for startup activity

The metro Milwaukee area and the state of Wisconsin both continue to rank poorly in the Kauffman Index of Startup Activity.

The index, conducted by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, is a set of economic indicators that measure new business creation across the country.

The metro Milwaukee area ranked 39th, tied with Pittsburgh for the lowest ranked major metro area.

Startup density in Milwaukee was 60.7, up from 59.3 in 2016. Startup density measures the startup firms per 1,000 firm population. Kauffman defines startups as businesses younger than one-year-old and employing at least one person other than the owner.

The top five ranked metro areas for startup activity were (in order): Miami, Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas.

The bottom five were: Philadelphia, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh tied with Milwaukee.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin ranked last (25th) of the larger states rankings for the Kauffman Index of Startup Activity. The state also ranked last in 2016.

Wisconsin’s startup density was 59.1, up from 58.6 last year.

The top five ranked larger states for startup activity (in order) were: California, Texas, Florida, Arizona and Colorado.

The bottom five ranked larger states for startup activity (in order) were: Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Wisconsin.

Read more economic data reports at the BizTracker page.

Andrew is the editor of BizTimes Milwaukee. He joined BizTimes in 2003, serving as managing editor and real estate reporter for 11 years. A University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, he is a lifelong resident of the state. He lives in Muskego with his wife, Seng, their son, Zach, and their dog, Hokey. He is an avid sports fan, a member of the Muskego Athletic Association board of directors and commissioner of the MAA's high school rec baseball league.
The metro Milwaukee area and the state of Wisconsin both continue to rank poorly in the Kauffman Index of Startup Activity. The index, conducted by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, is a set of economic indicators that measure new business creation across the country. The metro Milwaukee area ranked 39th, tied with Pittsburgh for the lowest ranked major metro area. Startup density in Milwaukee was 60.7, up from 59.3 in 2016. Startup density measures the startup firms per 1,000 firm population. Kauffman defines startups as businesses younger than one-year-old and employing at least one person other than the owner. The top five ranked metro areas for startup activity were (in order): Miami, Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. The bottom five were: Philadelphia, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh tied with Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Wisconsin ranked last (25th) of the larger states rankings for the Kauffman Index of Startup Activity. The state also ranked last in 2016. Wisconsin’s startup density was 59.1, up from 58.6 last year. The top five ranked larger states for startup activity (in order) were: California, Texas, Florida, Arizona and Colorado. The bottom five ranked larger states for startup activity (in order) were: Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Wisconsin. Read more economic data reports at the BizTracker page.

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