3.Rochester, Minnesota

Rochester, Minnesota

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Patents per million residents: 3,300
Average patents per year: 606
Top industry: Computer hardware and peripherals
Productivity growth
Rochester is the home of the Mayo Clinic, which employs more than 33,000 people in the area. It's a hospital model where research is intensely involved in patient care, so there's a focus on turning patents into treatments. IBM also has a large presence in the area.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-most-innovative-cities-in-the-us-2013-2?op=1#ixzz2RT5MlWFv