This heatmap shows the number of publicly listed companies headquartered in each U.S. state, based on MarketCapWatch data. Darker blues mark states with higher corporate density, lighter blues indicate fewer listings.
- California dominates with 1,242 listed companies — more than the bottom 25 states combined.
- New York (612) and Texas (498) follow, reflecting their finance and energy hubs.
Yeah, the color ramp was clearly chosen by someone who doesn’t know how to visualize data, and doesn’t care about people who are colorblind. This map would be rejected by any self-respecting GIS analyst or cartographer.
I’m colorblind and I didn’t realize there was a gradient.