What does a state having a superior patenting rate per thousand residents, despite a lower raw count than California, indicate?

Answer

Higher efficiency in channeling human capital into patentable outcomes

When normalized by population, a superior rate indicates that a state has successfully channeled its available human capital into patentable outcomes more effectively, suggesting higher local economic efficiency.

What does a state having a superior patenting rate per thousand residents, despite a lower raw count than California, indicate?
inventionpatentState