Wyoming, the least populous US state, has seen 50 percent growth in start-ups over the past decade. The state is one of the winners as entrepreneurial activity has dispersed geographically in recent years, spurred by the adoption of artificial intelligence technology (AI tech) and the shift to remote and hybrid work.

In the US, innovation hubs such as New York and California’s Silicon Valley are giving way to new geographies. Small businesses are popping up across western and southeastern states, such as Wyoming and Georgia. Seven of the top ten states in entrepreneurial activity are south of the famed Mason-Dixon Line—the historic boundary between Northern and Southern states—or the 36th parallel, a more southerly demarcation line.