Where Does Wyoming Rank on the List of Most Innovative States?

When you think of Wyoming, innovation may not be the first thing that comes to mind. We're pretty content with that out here. But that doesn't mean that we don't have our own place in the world of innovation, which happens to be the principal driver for growth in our nation's economy. In fact, the U.S. currently ranks third in the world on the Global Innovation Index. So how big of an impact does Wyoming have on that?

With knowledge and technology outputs known mainly as our country's strengths when it comes to innovation, it's important for the U.S. to keep developing new ideas everyday. One of the most recent cited innovations for the U.S. are the COVID-19 vaccines.

So with the U.S. making itself known as a force to be reckoned with in terms of innovation, how does Wyoming fit in?

To determine these particular rankings, our friends at WalletHub compared all 50 states along with Washington, D.C., across several key determining factors such as share of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals, R&D (research & development) spending per capita, and tech-company density.

The top of the rankings consisted of Washington, D.C., finishing first, followed by Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland, and Colorado. Our neighbors just to the south not only finished 5th overall, but 4th in 'highest projected STEM-job demand by 2028', tied for 1st in 'best eighth-grade math & science performance', and 5th in 'highest share of technology companies'. But where did Wyoming rank on the list?

As it turns out, Wyoming came in 27th overall on the list which is pretty much right in the middle. Nothing to scoff at. Not showing off, but not falling behind. We finished right in that meaty part of the curve. We finished 22nd in 'Innovative Environment'. However, we unfortunately finished 50th in 'R&D spending per capita'.

The bottom of the list consisted of Arkansas, West Virginia, North Dakota, Louisiana, and Mississippi, as they took the last spot in the rankings. To see where all states ranked on the list, check out the map below.

Source: WalletHub

Wyoming Expectation Vs. Reality

Here Are Words And Phrases That Drive Wyomingites Crazy

There are certain words or phrases that when you hear them it makes your skin crawl. We headed to social media and asked you to share what words or phrases drive you crazy when you hear them. Here's a collection of the top 12 from what you shared with us.

- Here Are Words And Phrases That Drive Wyomingites Crazy