Montana Named Best State for Startups

Governor's Office
  • April 04 2025
${alt}

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana was ranked as the best state for business startups.

“As an entrepreneur, I know firsthand the joys and challenges of starting and growing a business,” Gov. Gianforte said. “With my experience, I am working every day as governor to make government more efficient and responsive to Montanans looking to invest in their dreams and in the Treasure State.”

According to data reported by Entrepreneur Media, Montana was ranked number one with the highest score for the total number of startups in the state, the number of startups per 100,000 people, and the 10-year survival rate of startups.

With over 4,800 startups, the report gave the state a startup opportunity score of 9.55, the highest on the list, and a 10-year survival rate of 41 percent.

The report cites the latest data from the U.S. Small Business Administration that shows Americans have filed more than 21 million new business applications in the past four years. Montana ranks first, followed by Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Florida rounding out the top five.

The ranking was determined by business travel experts at Booking.com for Business using data collected in January from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.

You can view the rankings as reported by Entrepreneur Media here.

###

Site maintained by

State Information Technology Services Division
PO Box 200113
Helena, MT 59620-0113

Service Desk: (406) 444-2000

Fax: (406) 444-2701

TTY: (406) 444-1421

Contact Us
Montana State Seal logo

About Montana

Population
Population:1,084,197
Nickname
Nickname:Treasure State
State Capital
State Capital:Helena
State Flower
State Flower:Bitterroot
State Bird
State Bird:Western Meadowlark
State Butterfly
State Butterfly:Mourning Cloak
State Animal
State Animal:Grizzly Bear
State Fish
State Fish:Blackspotted Cutthroat Trout
State Gemstones
State Gemstones:Sapphire & Agate
State Soil
State Soil:Scobey Soil
State Motto
State Motto:Oro y Plata (Gold and Silver)
Visit Montana