Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Alaska
Overall State Ranking
#36 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#42of 50
Approval Score
15.90
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
73.4
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
87.7
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
35.1
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
#50
Economy
#50
Infrastructure
#49
Cost of Business
#41
Business Friendliness
#27
Workforce
#28
Access to Capital
#49
Tech & Innovation
#47
Education
#48
Cost of Living
#26
Quality of Life
#25
Best States
US News & World Report
#49
Economy
#45
Fiscal Stability
#44
Infrastructure
#46
Opportunity
#36
Education
#49
Health Care
#29
Crime & Corrections
#46
Natural Environment
#39
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#46
Affordability
#43
Economy
#4
Education & Health
#36
Quality of Life
#50
Safety
#44
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
#15of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#25of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#31of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#37of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#43of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#49of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#41of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#27of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
0.9%#37 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
65%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#50of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#49of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#46of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#36score 41.7
State Tech & Science Index