Report: Florida ranked as nation's most entrepreneurial state

Florida is the most entrepreneurial state in the U.S., according to a recent data study that looked at eight indicators.

The research was done by project management researchers at The Digital Project Manager. The group says it looked at indicators including the percentage of the population that started a new business, the percentage of startups still active after one year and the number of small businesses per 100,000 of the population.

Florida received the highest entrepreneurial index score: 65.12.

The Digital Project Manager says Florida has the highest percentage of the population who have started a business. That number was 0.61% of the Sunshine State's population. Of that group, 86% of those started one out of choice rather than necessity, which could mean being unemployed or requiring another income stream to support oneself.

"These start-ups have the highest number of jobs created in the first year, with 6.53 jobs created for every 1,000 of the population," the Digital Project Manager says. "With 13,238 small businesses per 100,000 of the population, this is the most in any state. Floridians have an entrepreneurial mindset that doesn't only benefit themselves but their communities with the jobs that they create."

Finishing out the top five are Georgia, with an index score of 59.31; Michigan, at 58.39; Oklahoma, at 57.58; and Montana, at 57.36.