Of course, bigger cities will naturally have an advantage when it comes to the total number of patents issued based solely on their larger population size. For this reason, we used US Census data released every decade going back to the 1960s to calculate average population sizes for each city in our evaluation. With that in hand, we were able to calculate how many patents are issued for every 100,000 people living in each city, putting everyone on a more level playing field.

While California still dominated the top of the list, it is the much smaller city of Fremont, California that takes the top spot over other California cities, San Jose and Irvine. A little digging into Fremont reveals that companies such as Tesla, Lam Research, and Boston Scientific are among the top employers in the city, which may explain why so many patents have ties to the 235,000 people who make up America’s 98th-largest city.

Another notable city is Boise, Idaho. While a recognizable name, Boise does not instantly spring to mind when considering major American cities. However, the city has increasingly attracted tech firms to set up major offices in the city, and at present companies such as Micron Technology, Hewlett Packard, and Microsoft each have a large presence in the city.

Boise has become a major tech hub thanks to its location, affordability and natural beauty. The city is located in a prime position to travel to major west coast locations such as Seattle, Portland and the Silicon Valley. Given the less expensive cost of living in Boise as compared to those cities, it makes sense that tech talent is tempted to live and work primarily from Idaho’s largest city and travel to those larger tech hubs when necessary. Quality schools, city infrastructure, and the gorgeous landscape in and around the city are also added benefits that have convinced so many innovative and inventive tech workers to call Boise home.