The sheer quality and quantity of educational institutions in the Northeastern U.S. have proved to be formidable forces in advancing the region's status as a center of technology and innovation. And the wealthy corporations and economic strength of the region have helped provide the resources to push the Northeast into the vanguard of the technological revolution now overtaking the world.

A recent report by CommercialCafe ranked the 20 best Northeastern metro areas for tech development by several metrics. They include the local ratio of tech to non-tech businesses, tech employment, the number of patents granted, as well as unemployment rates and educational attainment.

"From investment-driven innovation in the region's largest cities to creative disruptors hailing from the small university towns, the Northeast's tech scene comes in many shapes and sizes," the report noted.