Useful Stats: Inventors per 1,000 Residents by MSA: 1980, 1990, 2000, 2005
The methods of measuring the "innovativeness" of a region take many forms, including metrics which gauge the concentration of those inventing new ideas though patents. From data made available through the Office of the University Economist at Arizona State University, one can track over time the number of patent inventors per capita by metro area.