According to the State Entrepreneurship Index by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Washington is ranked as the fifth most innovative state, as calculated by patent activity in 2011. With a rate of 3.13 patents per one thousand people, new patent creation was driven by companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Costco.
Vermont took the top spot with 3.50 patents per one thousand residents, followed by Massachusetts, California, and Minnesota.
Source: CNNMoney, October 26, 2012.