You'll Never Guess Where Female Entrepreneurship Is On the Rise (Infographic) Businesses owned by women are booming in the South. Check out this infographic to see how your state matches up.
By Kate Taylor •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Georgia is known for its peaches, sweet tea and hot weather. However, it has some lesser-known advantages. You might not have guessed it, but the state is quickly becoming a haven for female entrepreneurs.
From 1997 to 2014, Georgia has experienced more growth in women-owned business than any other state, with the percentage of businesses owned by women skyrocketing 118 percent, according to new information from Expert Market. The company recently put together an infographic that breaks down the ratio of female-to-male entrepreneurship state by state.
Georgia also ranks No. 5 overall in states most populated by female entrepreneurs. Why, you ask? Expert Market has a few theories.
Related: Why It Is Important to Teach Girls About Entrepreneurship
First, the state is flush with programs and organizations geared toward female entrepreneurs, such as the Women's Employment Opportunity Project in Atlanta and the Great Women's Business Council. Plus, the cost of living and starting a business is substantially lower in Georgia than it would be in more common entrepreneurial hubs like San Francisco or New York City.
Other than Georgia, standout states for female entrepreneurship include Washington, D.C., where more than 34 percent of businesses are owned by women, and Texas, which has increased the percentage of female-owned businesses by 98 percent in the last seven years.
Female entrepreneurship is on the rise across the South, as North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama also make the list of top 10 states for growth of female-owned businesses.
Check out the infographic below to see how your state stacks up.
Click to Enlarge+
