The Midwest outpaced every part of the country except the South in terms of percentage growth of venture capital investment during the second half of the last decade. And, in most cases, it wasn't even close.

So says an infographic on regional VC funding and startup growth published this week.

Venture 51, an early-stage venture fund based in Scottsdale, Ariz., published the infographic Tuesday in a post on its blog. Column Five created the graphical representation for Venture 51, using data from such sources as Silicon Valley Bank, Global Insight and Pricewaterhouse Cooper. 

According to the infographic, the Midwest from 2005-2010 saw a 103-percent increase — from $706 million to $1.435 billion — in venture capital investment. That was second only to the South, which experienced growth of nearly 4,000 percent during that period. Other areas of the country saw declines or marginal increases over the same span. 

Though that's certainly a positive indicator of VC activity in the area, the number of deals did not show similar growth over roughly the same span. In fact, the number of deals measured in 2010 (262) was barely more than the number tabulated in 2002 (243) and less than the total in 2008 (288). That said, the 2010 total marked a significant increase from the low of 165 measured in 2004.

You can investigate all that data and more — including graphical representations of perceived challenges to startups — under your own microscope by looking at the infographic in its entirety: "Sweet Spots: Startup Hubs Across the U.S. [infographic]"

Credits: Graphic from ventures51.com.