America’s Most Inventive Cities: San Francisco, Seattle, Rochester, NY, More

From Fremont to Irvine, California has 9 of the nation’s innovation hubs. But the list has some surprises.

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Population: 140,081
Patent applications 2010: 1,949
Patents awarded 2010: 3,255
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 1,391
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 2,324

AP Photo

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Population: 214,089
Patent applications 2010: 1,469
Patents awarded 2010: 2,287
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 686
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 1,068

Paul Sakuma / AP Photo

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Population: 945,942
Patent applications 2010: 3,791
Patents awarded 2010: 6,086
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 401
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 643

David McNew / Getty Images

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Population: 212,375
Patent applications 2010: 1,044
Patents awarded 2010: 1,049
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 492
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 494

AP Photo

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Population: 135,234
Patent applications 2010: 412
Patents awarded 2010: 930
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 305
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 688

HeavenlyHedgehog / Wikipedia

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Population: 805,235
Patent applications 2010: 2,573
Patents awarded 2010: 3,041
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 320
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 378

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Population: 608,660
Patent applications 2010: 1,516
Patents awarded 2010: 2,642
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 249
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 434

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Population: 205,671
Patent applications 2010: 466
Patents awarded 2010: 884
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 227
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 430

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Population: 149,043
Patent applications 2010: 385
Patents awarded 2010: 453
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 258
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 304

AP Photo

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Population: 259,841
Patent applications 2010: 528
Patents awarded 2010: 841
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 203
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 324

AP Photo

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Population: 141,853
Patent applications 2010: 314
Patents awarded 2010: 450
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 221
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 317

Anne Ryan / AP Photo

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Population: 210,565
Patent applications 2010: 361
Patents awarded 2010: 840
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 171
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 399

lirena / Flickr

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Population: 296,943
Patent applications 2010: 559
Patents awarded 2010: 825
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 188
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 278

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Population: 790,390
Patent applications 2010: 1,252
Patents awarded 2010: 2,870
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 158
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 363

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Population: 1,307,402
Patent applications 2010: 3,015
Patents awarded 2010: 2,792
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 231
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 314

AP Photo

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Population: 228,330
Patent applications 2010: 398
Patents awarded 2010: 595
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 174
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 261

Getty Images

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Population: 126,683
Patent applications 2010: 228
Patents awarded 2010: 328
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 180
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 259

AP Photo

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Population: 186,440
Patent applications 2010: 365
Patents awarded 2010: 368
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 196
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 197

Jim Urquhart / AP Photo

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Population: 403,892
Patent applications 2010: 578
Patents awarded 2010: 1,032
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 143
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 256

Gerry Broome / AP

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Population: 143,986
Patent applications 2010: 189
Patents awarded 2010: 374
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 131
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 260

AP Photo

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Population: 583,776
Patent applications 2010: 794
Patents awarded 2010: 1,285
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 136
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 220

AP Photo

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Population: 305,704
Patent applications 2010: 443
Patents awarded 2010: 579
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 145
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 189

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Population: 143,911
Patent applications 2010: 228
Patents awarded 2010: 257
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 158
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 179

Chris Doig / Wikipedia

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Population: 236,123
Patent applications 2010: 300
Patents awarded 2010: 539
Patent applications per 100,000 residents: 127
Approved patents per 100,000 residents: 228

Ixnayonthetimmay / Wikipedia