INDEX SCORE: 0.941
California brings in the country’s highest gross state product, about $1.8 trillion, and is a leading force in green and sustainable changes—the state is still holding strong on its ban on nuclear energy from the 1970s. The Golden State is also home to the mother-ship of all innovative towns, Palo Alto, which is the hub of the most innovative companies in the country. Companies including Facebook, Amazon, and Google are headquartered in the Nor-Cal town.