Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Arkansas
Overall State Ranking
#25 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#24of 50
Approval Score
5.38
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
93.2
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
95.4
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
69.9
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
#41
Economy
#30
Infrastructure
#41
Cost of Business
#11
Business Friendliness
#31
Workforce
#36
Access to Capital
#26
Tech & Innovation
#41
Education
#40
Cost of Living
#12
Quality of Life
#43
Best States
US News & World Report
#44
Economy
#26
Fiscal Stability
#15
Infrastructure
#41
Opportunity
#28
Education
#36
Health Care
#47
Crime & Corrections
#48
Natural Environment
#35
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#48
Affordability
#5
Economy
#41
Education & Health
#45
Quality of Life
#48
Safety
#45
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
#30of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#4of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#24of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#19of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#5of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#41of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#11of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#31of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
2.6%#19 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
55%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#41of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#44of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#48of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#48score 23.2
State Tech & Science Index