Mapping the Fastest Growing Companies in the United States

Here's a helpful tool for understanding economic growth.

2 minute read

February 7, 2018, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Boulder Colorado

The Boulder, Colorado metropolitan area had the highest density of high-growth companies between 2011 and 2017. | Nelson Sirlin / Shutterstock

Ian Hathaway presents a geographic analysis of the "Inc. 5000"Inc. Magazine's list of the fastest growing businesses in the United States.

With the fast growth of the companies on the Inc. 5000, a deeper analysis of the companies on the list provides insight into the U.S. economy. So, for instance, the information technology and health industries account for almost a third of the companies on the Inc. 5000 list. But there's more to be learned from the list.

"An analysis of the geographic location of I5HGCs reveals another concentration—this time by place," writes Hathaway. "[N]early 98 percent of I5HGCs are located in metropolitan areas. Micropolitan and rural areas are headquarters to just two percent."

The largest metropolitan areas do not lead the country in Inc. 5000 company density, however. "Of the top four metros, three are medium-sized—Boulder, Provo, and Huntsville. Only Washington (a large metro) is not," explains Hathaway.

To conclude the article explaining and illustrating his analysis, Hathaway also shares the results of a linear regression analysis designed to assess the factors association with regional Inc. 5000 company density. The analysis identified four variables as especially important in explaining regional density of Inc. 5000 companies: 1) the share of workers with college degrees, 2) the share of workers employed in high-tech industries, 3) the share of the population f prime entrepreneurship age, and 4) the overall rate of business formation in the region. 

Monday, February 5, 2018 in Brookings Institution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

7 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14 - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

July 14 - Los Angeles Public Press