Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Colorado
Overall State Ranking
#22 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#35of 50
Approval Score
9.66
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
86.0
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
90.2
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
57.2
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
#11
Economy
#21
Infrastructure
#11
Cost of Business
#38
Business Friendliness
#22
Workforce
#7
Access to Capital
#12
Tech & Innovation
#9
Education
#31
Cost of Living
#47
Quality of Life
#12
Best States
US News & World Report
#11
Economy
#6
Fiscal Stability
#43
Infrastructure
#11
Opportunity
#33
Education
#3
Health Care
#9
Crime & Corrections
#47
Natural Environment
#16
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#19
Affordability
#28
Economy
#15
Education & Health
#3
Quality of Life
#11
Safety
#47
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
#17of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#32of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#39of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#16of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#28of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#11of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#38of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#22of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
3.2%#16 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
86%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#11of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#11of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#19of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#3score 78.9
State Tech & Science Index