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Entrepreneurs Are Driving the Most Economic Growth In These 10 U.S. States, According to Shopify Internal Data A recent report found that Delaware, Wyoming, and California were leading in entrepreneurial contributions to their local economies in 2022.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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A pop-up beer garden at Justison Landing in Wilmington, Delaware.

Being an entrepreneur or self-starter doesn't just mean you're contributing to your own financial success, you're also contributing to the local economy.

A recent report by the e-commerce platform Shopify analyzed the economic impact of entrepreneurs worldwide by measuring how people in the platform's ecosystem contributed to jobs supported (the number of jobs sustained by entrepreneurs who use Shopify's platform to sell goods and services), GDP impact (value of goods and services produced by merchants), and business activity (merchant revenue plus the revenue of suppliers who provide materials and services).

Overall, entrepreneurs in Shopify's ecosystem supported 5.2 million jobs globally in 2022 (an 8.3% increase from 2021) and generated $490.5 billion in economic activity (+8.6%).

Leading Shopify's global ranking was the U.S., with over $270 billion generated from business activity, 1.1 million jobs supported, and a GDP impact of $128.7 billion. The second and third spots were both in Eastern Europe — Lithuania (No. 2) and Romania (No. 3) — followed by the United Kingdom (No. 4) and the Czech Republic (No. 5).

In the U.S., Delaware was the top state for entrepreneurial contribution to the economy with business activity of $2.2 billion, 9,280 jobs supported, and a GDP impact of over $1 billion.

Related: The Key Benefits of Using Shopify for Your Business

After Delaware, the Mountain States dominated the ranks, with three out of the top five across the country being in the region: Wyoming (No. 2), Montana (No. 4), and Utah (No. 5). California ranked No. 3, and was also independently leading for the most jobs created across the country at 134,024.

Here are the top 10 U.S. states where entrepreneurs in Shopify's ecosystem are generating the most business for their economy:

Delaware:

Business activity: $2.2 billion

Jobs Supported: 9,280 jobs supported

GDP Impact: $1 billion

Wyoming:

Business activity: $912 million

Jobs Supported: 3,710

GDP Impact: $416 million

California:

Business activity: $57.6 billion

Jobs Supported: 235,237

GDP Impact: $26.6 billion

Montana:

Business activity: $694 million

Jobs Supported: 2,838

GDP Impact: $325 million

Utah:

Business activity: $6.9 billion

Jobs Supported: 28,081

GDP Impact: $3.1 billion

Nevada:

Business activity: $3.4 billion

Jobs Supported: 13,885

GDP Impact: $1.5 billion

Alabama:

Business activity: $2.6 billion

Jobs Supported: 10,832

GDP Impact: $1.2 billion

Florida:

Business activity: $15.5 billion

Jobs Supported: 63,560

GDP Impact: $7.2 billion

Idaho:

Business activity: $1.3 billion

Jobs Supported: 5,612

GDP Impact: $639 million

Hawaii:

Business activity: $826 million

Jobs Supported: 3,380

GDP Impact: $389 million

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

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