Red Tape 50 · State Profile
California
Overall State Ranking
#48 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#37of 50
Approval Score
14.79
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
81.8
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
90.0
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
25.5
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
#22
Economy
#12
Infrastructure
#25
Cost of Business
#40
Business Friendliness
#48
Workforce
#20
Access to Capital
#1
Tech & Innovation
#1
Education
#31
Cost of Living
#50
Quality of Life
#32
Best States
US News & World Report
#37
Economy
#32
Fiscal Stability
#42
Infrastructure
#35
Opportunity
#50
Education
#24
Health Care
#7
Crime & Corrections
#38
Natural Environment
#24
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#32
Affordability
#50
Economy
#20
Education & Health
#23
Quality of Life
#2
Safety
#42
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
#48of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#46of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#50of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#44of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#50of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#25of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#40of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#48of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
-0.3%#44 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
94%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#22of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#37of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#32of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#2score 80.0
State Tech & Science Index