A new study shows that Houston reigns as the startup capital of Texas.

For the study, the Smart Dollar website looked at data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the locations with the most new businesses per capita in 2021. Among major metro areas in Texas, Houston came out on top, gaining 21.2 new-business applications per 1,000 residents last year. Houston ranks 10th among all of the country’s major metros (those with at least 1 million residents).

The study found 150,971 new-business applications were filed last year in the Houston area. That translates into a 27.5 percent rise in applications versus 2020 and a 75.2 percent jump versus 2019.

Houston continues to gain notice as a startup hub. For instance, Bayou City appears at No. 5 in Startup Genome’s recent ranking of the world’s top emerging ecosystems for startups. Startup Genome is an advisory and research group that seeks to boost startup ecosystems.

Smart Dollar attributes the spike in startup activity in Houston and around the country to federal stimulus checks, low interest rates, and fast-rising values for homes, stocks, and other assets throughout 2020 and 2021.

“Another related factor was the Great Resignation, as record-high numbers of workers left jobs in search of better economic opportunities — many of whom started new businesses,” Smart Dollar points out.

The website adds that even during economic downturns, startups continue creating jobs, while established companies are more likely to shed employees to cut costs.

Almost 5.4 million applications were filed to set up new businesses in 2021, setting a new annual record for the U.S., according to the Census Bureau.

Here’s how the state’s three other major metros fared in the Smart Dollar study.

No. 11 Dallas-Fort Worth

• New-business applications per 1,000 residents: 21.02
• Total new-business applications in 2021: 160,518
• One-year increase in new-business applications: 25.8 percent
• Two-year increase in new-business applications: 62.6 percent

No. 14 Austin

• New-business applications per 1,000 residents: 20.51
• Total new-business applications in 2021: 46,835
• One-year increase in new-business applications: 34.5 percent
• Two-year increase in new-business applications: 52.4 percent

No. 38 San Antonio

• New-business applications per 1,000 residents: 13.28
• Total new-business applications in 2021: 33,978
• One-year increase in new-business applications: 25.6 percent
• Two-year increase in new-business applications: 47.8 percent