Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Alabama
Overall State Ranking
#13 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#10of 50
Approval Score
3.12
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
95.4
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
97.7
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
79.8
0-100 approval-quality signal
Economic Profile & Benchmarks
How independent national rankings see this state (1-50, 1 = best)
Top States for Business
CNBC, 2025
#19
Economy
#23
Infrastructure
#28
Cost of Business
#19
Business Friendliness
#13
Workforce
#16
Access to Capital
#40
Tech & Innovation
#22
Education
#16
Cost of Living
#6
Quality of Life
#44
Best States
US News & World Report
#45
Economy
#36
Fiscal Stability
#31
Infrastructure
#33
Opportunity
#26
Education
#44
Health Care
#40
Crime & Corrections
#29
Natural Environment
#33
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#41
Affordability
#1
Economy
#42
Education & Health
#46
Quality of Life
#39
Safety
#25
Benchmark ranks are published by their respective sources and shown here for context; they are inputs or companions to the Red Tape 50 composite, not outputs of it.
Pillar Breakdown
Composite inputs · full bar = #1 of 50
Fiscal
Freedom in the 50 States
#31of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#1of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#7of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#18of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#1of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#28of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#19of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#13of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
2.6%#18 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
58%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#19of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#45of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#41of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#27score 48.3
State Tech & Science Index