BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — When many think of North Dakota’s workforce, the first things that come to mind are typically those of farmers, ranchers, and those who work in mining and power. As both futuristic developments and labor forces expand, however, even states known for their agricultural expertise have developed their own impressive technical industries as well. Governor Doug Burgum is already known for his investment in technology startups — but as a new study shows, the rest of the state is also tech-savvy in its own right.
To reveal the most technologically adept parts of the United States, sports booking site Betmassachusetts.com sought out to determine what aspects contributed to a more ‘tech-savvy’ part of the country. As the study assumed that a strong presence of technology in the state, higher SAT and IQ scores, lower numbers of fraud reports, and more degrees in the field indicate a better understanding of technology, details on these statistics were taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Statista, and the World Population Review among other sites. This data, once aggregated, was weighed based on every states’ overall population, and a final index score between 0 to 70 was assigned to each.
When these index scores were compares across the entire country, it was determined that North Dakota is one of the most tech-savvy places in the nation. The same can also be said for many other Midwestern states — including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Montana.
| Rank | State | Number of People Employed in Tech | Average SAT Score | Average IQ | Percentage of Population with BS Degree or Higher | Tech Fraud Reports Per Capita | Total Score |
| 1 | Massachusetts | 224,250 | 1029 | 103.1 | 44.5 | 878 | 45.66 |
| 2 | California | 1,000,100 | 1115 | 97.1 | 34.7 | 947 | 45.01 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 156,040 | 1225 | 102.9 | 36.8 | 753 | 41.76 |
| 4 | Utah | 90,530 | 1233 | 101.5 | 34.7 | 785 | 38.07 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 156,300 | 1252 | 101.2 | 30.8 | 760 | 37.55 |
| 6 | Wyoming | 19,230 | 1244 | 101.7 | 28.2 | 700 | 37.55 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 22,570 | 1212 | 101.7 | 30.7 | 536 | 37.5 |
| 8 | Virginia | 206,880 | 1124 | 101.2 | 39.5 | 1108 | 36.88 |
| 9 | Colorado | 201,020 | 1021 | 101.1 | 41.6 | 1051 | 35.68 |
| 10 | Montana | 32,090 | 1206 | 101.1 | 33.1 | 760 | 35.18 |
As the study’s results show, while North Dakota generally has a lower number of people employed in technology and number who possess BS degrees or higher, the state also features an extremely low number of fraud reports . On top of this, the state’s average IQ and SAT scores tend to be on the higher end of the spectrum. These statistics amounted to an overall score of 37.5 out of 70 — which is still one of the highest in the nation.
While North Dakota’s technical side is already on the rise, there is always room for more graduates and new entrants into the field. To learn more about tech degrees and programs throughout North Dakota, visit this page.
