Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Arizona
Overall State Ranking
#7 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#32of 50
Approval Score
8.51
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
87.3
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
94.2
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
58.0
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
#12
Economy
#13
Infrastructure
#3
Cost of Business
#32
Business Friendliness
#17
Workforce
#6
Access to Capital
#25
Tech & Innovation
#20
Education
#47
Cost of Living
#39
Quality of Life
#39
Best States
US News & World Report
#30
Economy
#5
Fiscal Stability
#35
Infrastructure
#17
Opportunity
#44
Education
#42
Health Care
#13
Crime & Corrections
#26
Natural Environment
#38
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#30
Affordability
#24
Economy
#18
Education & Health
#32
Quality of Life
#25
Safety
#34
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
#10of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#26of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#27of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#7of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#24of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#3of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#32of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#17of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
5.9%#7 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
89%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#12of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#30of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#30of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#16score 57.1
State Tech & Science Index