Tech hubs in the United States are facing something of an identity crisis. Traditional powerhouses are losing some of their appeal for attracting top tech talent, while smaller and up-and-coming metro areas are drawing renewed attention.
That’s according to research from the Burning Glass Institute, whose ranking of The Most Cutting-Edge Cities in the United States highlights both familiar locations (like San Francisco and the Bay Area) and cities not typically known for their tech credentials (such as Miami, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh).
Seattle took the top spot, ranking #1 for both Cutting-Edge Skills and Momentum, making it the leader in the 2023 The Most Cutting-Edge Large Cities (Metro Areas) ranking.
It’s worth noting how the top 10 cities in the main Most Cutting-Edge Large Cities list compare to those leading the Momentum ranking. This contrast shows just how quickly perceptions of innovation hubs are changing. While Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose still dominate both lists, the rest of the rankings are much less predictable.
Take Boston, for example: the city ranks a strong fourth in the broader Cutting-Edge Skills category, but only seventh for Momentum. Austin, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City have all surpassed Boston in terms of growth.
Similarly, the Momentum rankings for San Diego (13), New York City (9), and Portland, Oregon (16) don’t match their positions in the main Cutting-Edge Skills list. This suggests that top tech skills are now much less concentrated in the traditional coastal hub markets than before.
Here are the Most Cutting-Edge Large Cities (Metro Areas):
| METRO AREA | CUTTING-EDGE SKILLS RANK | MOMENTUM RANK |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. | 1 | 1 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. | 2 | 2 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, Calif. | 3 | 3 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass./N.H. | 4 | 7 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas | 5 | 4 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, Calif. | 6 | 13 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y./N.J./Pa. | 7 | 9 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif. | 8 | 8 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore./Wash. | 9 | 16 |
| Raleigh-Cary, N.C. | 10 | 21 |
Innovation beyond the usual tech centres
One major reason tech talent is emerging in unexpected regions is that demand for these skills now spans many industries. While new companies are still launching in fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning, established—or even traditionally tech-resistant—businesses are now competing for the same expertise as the latest startups.
For example, many of the cities gaining momentum aren’t necessarily hotspots for venture capital or startup activity. Instead, they’re places where traditional industries are being reinvented, creating opportunities for a new wave of skilled workers.
In Utah, for instance, Provo and Salt Lake City ranked first and third among mid-sized cities for tech talent. Much of this growth comes from a tech campus launched by Zions Bancorp in 2022, which is helping to develop a new generation of Cutting Edge professionals.
Similarly, new tech investments from Walmart help explain why Fayetteville, Arkansas, ranks second among mid-sized cities and first in the Momentum category for its population group.
“You’re increasingly seeing Main Street become tech-driven, powered by data,” said Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “Some of the fastest-growing, highest-value frontier skills are now appearing in places you wouldn’t have expected before.”
A more decentralized startup ecosystem
Alongside tech talent moving into industries that once resisted digital transformation, there are also federal initiatives supporting new businesses and innovation in regions that haven’t always received this kind of backing.
As we recently discussed on our blog, the U.S. Commerce Department has just announced 31 regional Tech Hubs that will receive significant funding through the CHIPS and Science Act, passed last summer.
The new funding will focus on providing transformative investments in innovation, supply chain resilience, and job creation by bringing together stakeholders across the private and public sector to compete for up to $75 million in implementation grants.
While public-private partnerships that combine government funding, private investment and even institutional resources are key for bolstering local tech ecosystems, individual entrepreneurs need to follow a similar capital strategy when it comes to funding their venture.
That means leveraging funding from an array of sources that allow you to capture growth, maintain equity in your business, and fund your research and development.
At Boast, we’ve worked with thousands of startups across North America to capture non-dilutive funding to help fuel their product roadmap and enhance their R&D. Along with insights into available tax credits, our platform combines key financial and project tracking systems into a single source of intelligence, giving you the insight you need to optimize strategies and capitalize on the innovation your team is driving.
To learn more about U.S. government R&D tax credits and how you can leverage them to fuel your product runway, download our Guide:
Contact an expert today to discover how Boast’s unique approach can help you optimize R&D and maximize non-dilutive funding.
