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Compare · Geography

Compare. Metro by metro.

Pick any two of 18 U.S. metros. Every metric is drawn on a shared scale - the volume bar fills against the top metro, the year-over-year bar diverges from a shared zero - so the bar lengths themselves are the comparison across the gutter. Assignee-vs-assignee lives in its sibling patents-deep; this page owns the spatial cut.

What this compares

2024 grants and share of the U.S. total, year-over-year movement, and anchor employers - the same real 2024 figures used across the site, joined here by metro rank. The sector lean is each metro's top-3 primary CPC sections, computed from its 2024 first-inventor patents - real, not illustrative. Anchor employers stay a curated label.

Choose a metro for each panel

Panel A

01 CA Cooling

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara

14,249 grants in 2024 · 4.4% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 14,249
Year over year -5%
Anchor employers

Apple, Google, Nvidia, Intel

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
02 CA Cooling

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward

11,397 grants in 2024 · 3.5% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 11,397
Year over year -5%
Anchor employers

Salesforce, Stripe, Lyft, Cruise

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
03 MA Cooling

Boston-Cambridge-Newton

6,618 grants in 2024 · 2.0% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 6,618
Year over year -3%
Anchor employers

MIT, Moderna, Akamai

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesChemistry
04 NY Cooling

New York-Newark-Jersey City

6,589 grants in 2024 · 2.0% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 6,589
Year over year -4%
Anchor employers

IBM, Pfizer, Bloomberg

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesElectricity
05 CA Cooling

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

6,588 grants in 2024 · 2.0% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 6,588
Year over year -3%
Anchor employers

Disney, SpaceX, Northrop

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesElectricity
06 CA Cooling

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

5,924 grants in 2024 · 1.8% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 5,924
Year over year -4%
Anchor employers

Qualcomm, Illumina, ViaSat

Sector lean top CPC sections
ElectricityPhysics & ComputingHuman Necessities
07 WA Cooling

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

5,076 grants in 2024 · 1.6% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 5,076
Year over year -13%
Anchor employers

Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
08 TX Cooling

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

3,516 grants in 2024 · 1.1% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 3,516
Year over year -4%
Anchor employers

Texas Instruments, AT&T

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
09 IL Cooling

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin

3,326 grants in 2024 · 1.0% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 3,326
Year over year -5%
Anchor employers

Abbott, Boeing HQ, Motorola

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesElectricity
10 TX Cooling

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands

2,872 grants in 2024 · 0.9% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,872
Year over year -8%
Anchor employers

ExxonMobil, Halliburton

Sector lean top CPC sections
ConstructionPhysics & ComputingChemistry
11 MN Cooling

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington

2,865 grants in 2024 · 0.9% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,865
Year over year -1%
Anchor employers

3M, Medtronic, Cargill

Sector lean top CPC sections
Human NecessitiesPhysics & ComputingTransport & Ops
12 TX Cooling

Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown

2,688 grants in 2024 · 0.8% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,688
Year over year -4%
Anchor employers

Tesla, AMD, Dell, IBM

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
13 MI Cooling

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

2,667 grants in 2024 · 0.8% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,667
Year over year -11%
Anchor employers

Ford, GM, Stellantis

Sector lean top CPC sections
Transport & OpsPhysics & ComputingElectricity
14 PA Growing

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

2,417 grants in 2024 · 0.7% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,417
Year over year +3%
Anchor employers

Comcast, Merck, DuPont

Sector lean top CPC sections
Human NecessitiesPhysics & ComputingElectricity
15 OR Cooling

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro

2,360 grants in 2024 · 0.7% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,360
Year over year -6%
Anchor employers

Intel Hillsboro, Nike

Sector lean top CPC sections
ElectricityPhysics & ComputingHuman Necessities
16 AZ Cooling

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler

2,001 grants in 2024 · 0.6% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,001
Year over year -2%
Anchor employers

Intel Chandler, Honeywell

Sector lean top CPC sections
ElectricityPhysics & ComputingHuman Necessities
17 GA Cooling

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell

1,967 grants in 2024 · 0.6% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 1,967
Year over year -1%
Anchor employers

Coca-Cola, Delta, NCR

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesElectricity
18 NC Growing

Raleigh-Cary

1,217 grants in 2024 · 0.4% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 1,217
Year over year +3%
Anchor employers

IBM RTP, Cisco, GSK

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities

Panel B

01 CA Cooling

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara

14,249 grants in 2024 · 4.4% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 14,249
Year over year -5%
Anchor employers

Apple, Google, Nvidia, Intel

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
02 CA Cooling

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward

11,397 grants in 2024 · 3.5% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 11,397
Year over year -5%
Anchor employers

Salesforce, Stripe, Lyft, Cruise

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
03 MA Cooling

Boston-Cambridge-Newton

6,618 grants in 2024 · 2.0% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 6,618
Year over year -3%
Anchor employers

MIT, Moderna, Akamai

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesChemistry
04 NY Cooling

New York-Newark-Jersey City

6,589 grants in 2024 · 2.0% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 6,589
Year over year -4%
Anchor employers

IBM, Pfizer, Bloomberg

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesElectricity
05 CA Cooling

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

6,588 grants in 2024 · 2.0% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 6,588
Year over year -3%
Anchor employers

Disney, SpaceX, Northrop

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesElectricity
06 CA Cooling

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

5,924 grants in 2024 · 1.8% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 5,924
Year over year -4%
Anchor employers

Qualcomm, Illumina, ViaSat

Sector lean top CPC sections
ElectricityPhysics & ComputingHuman Necessities
07 WA Cooling

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

5,076 grants in 2024 · 1.6% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 5,076
Year over year -13%
Anchor employers

Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
08 TX Cooling

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

3,516 grants in 2024 · 1.1% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 3,516
Year over year -4%
Anchor employers

Texas Instruments, AT&T

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
09 IL Cooling

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin

3,326 grants in 2024 · 1.0% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 3,326
Year over year -5%
Anchor employers

Abbott, Boeing HQ, Motorola

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesElectricity
10 TX Cooling

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands

2,872 grants in 2024 · 0.9% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,872
Year over year -8%
Anchor employers

ExxonMobil, Halliburton

Sector lean top CPC sections
ConstructionPhysics & ComputingChemistry
11 MN Cooling

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington

2,865 grants in 2024 · 0.9% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,865
Year over year -1%
Anchor employers

3M, Medtronic, Cargill

Sector lean top CPC sections
Human NecessitiesPhysics & ComputingTransport & Ops
12 TX Cooling

Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown

2,688 grants in 2024 · 0.8% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,688
Year over year -4%
Anchor employers

Tesla, AMD, Dell, IBM

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities
13 MI Cooling

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

2,667 grants in 2024 · 0.8% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,667
Year over year -11%
Anchor employers

Ford, GM, Stellantis

Sector lean top CPC sections
Transport & OpsPhysics & ComputingElectricity
14 PA Growing

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

2,417 grants in 2024 · 0.7% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,417
Year over year +3%
Anchor employers

Comcast, Merck, DuPont

Sector lean top CPC sections
Human NecessitiesPhysics & ComputingElectricity
15 OR Cooling

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro

2,360 grants in 2024 · 0.7% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,360
Year over year -6%
Anchor employers

Intel Hillsboro, Nike

Sector lean top CPC sections
ElectricityPhysics & ComputingHuman Necessities
16 AZ Cooling

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler

2,001 grants in 2024 · 0.6% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 2,001
Year over year -2%
Anchor employers

Intel Chandler, Honeywell

Sector lean top CPC sections
ElectricityPhysics & ComputingHuman Necessities
17 GA Cooling

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell

1,967 grants in 2024 · 0.6% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 1,967
Year over year -1%
Anchor employers

Coca-Cola, Delta, NCR

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingHuman NecessitiesElectricity
18 NC Growing

Raleigh-Cary

1,217 grants in 2024 · 0.4% of U.S.
Patents, 2024 1,217
Year over year +3%
Anchor employers

IBM RTP, Cisco, GSK

Sector lean top CPC sections
Physics & ComputingElectricityHuman Necessities

Set: 18 U.S. metros ranked by 2024 inventor-address grants, from the Geography of Invention. Source: USPTO Open Data Portal - PatentsView Granted Patent Disambiguated Data (product PVGPATDIS). Grant counts, shares, year-over-year and the sector lean are all computed from the raw grants; anchor employers are a curated label.