How Startup Genome Selected the 2020 Surge Cities Index:

JOB CREATION

Over-the-year percent change in the number of jobs from Q1 2018 to Q1 2019.

POPULATION GROWTH

Percentage growth from July 2017 to July 2018.

NET BUSINESS CREATION

Over-the-year percent change in the number of business establishments from Q1 2018 to Q1 2019.

RATE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Percentage of adults who are entrepreneurs, including solo-preneurs, regardless of industry or employment status in the 2018 to 2019 period.

WAGE GROWTH

Over-the-year percent change in average weekly earnings from Q1 2018 to Q1 2019.

HIGH-GROWTH COMPANY DENSITY

Number of high-growth companies for every 100,000 adults, including only Inc. 5000 firms with $2 million in annual revenue and 20% year-over-year growth for three years in 2018 and 2019.

EARLY-STAGE FUNDRAISING DEALS

Number of early-stage funding deals for every 100,000 adults from October 2018 to October 2019.

Inc. has long believed there’s an alchemy that happens when fast-growing companies, innovative activity, and an entrepreneurial environment coalesce in a particular geographic space. Inc. and Startup Genome, an innovation policy company, partnered to create the Surge Cities Index, the definitive ranking of the geography of growth in the U.S.

The Inc. Surge Cities Scores are calculated for the largest 100 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States, according to February 28, 2013, Office of Management and Budget criteria. We use an equally weighted average of the normalized scores of seven metrics.

Once we had the seven normalized scores, the composite index was then calculated for each MSA by computing an equally weighted average of the seven metrics. Finally, to compute the Surge Cities Score, each metropolitan area was ranked in order of its average composite index score.

On metric rankings: When the data allowed for more detailed/precise metrics (e.g., 2 or 3 decimal points), ties were not present. When the data was less exact, ties were present. For editorial purposes, we did not indicate ties.

Sources: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program, Current Population Survey (CPS), American Community Survey (ACS), and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Startup Genome, PitchBook, Inc. 5000

ABOUT STARTUP GENOME

With more than 100 clients across five continents in 38 countries to date, Startup Genome is the top research and policy advisory organization for governments committed to accelerating the success of their startup ecosystem. Read more at startupgenome.com.