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Research

The Ascent of America’s High-Growth Companies

Insights from examining 30 years of Inc. 500 firm data.

Written by Yasuyuki Motoyama and Samuel Arbesman
INC Infographic

Certain regions of the country continuously produce innovative, high-growth companies that have transcended the economic downturn of the last few years. Surprisingly, those regions include more than the expected locales like Boston and Silicon Valley. “The Ascent of America’s High-Growth Companies,” a report series released by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, reveals that high numbers of fast-growing firms are concentrated in unexpected regions and industrial sectors.

This comprehensive, first-ever analysis of the geography of Inc. 500 firms is presented here in an interactive U.S. map, detailed state-by-state profiles and interactive metro-area charts, and in-depth reports that explore geographic trends of high-growth firms over time, the movements of the founders, and state-by-state profiles.

Interactive Data Visualization:
Mapping Fast-Growing Companies

This interactive map displays the location of the fastest-growing privately held companies appearing on the annual Inc. 500 list from 1982 – 2010. These data are presented by county, highlighting counties with the most companies per capita, as well as the most companies overall. (Click to launch map in a new window – [archived]).

Interactive Charts:
Plotting Movement of Inc. 500 Data by State and MSA

This interactive chart plots data on Inc. 500 firms by state and population from 1982 to 2010. (Click to launch chart in a new window)

This interactive chart plots data on Inc. 500 firms by Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, for each year from 2001 to 2010. (Click to launch chart in a new window)

Read the Reports

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