Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Delaware
Overall State Ranking
#40 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#38of 50
Approval Score
12.87
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
86.2
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
79.0
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
48.5
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
#29
Economy
#4
Infrastructure
#31
Cost of Business
#41
Business Friendliness
#43
Workforce
#11
Access to Capital
#19
Tech & Innovation
#30
Education
#45
Cost of Living
#9
Quality of Life
#27
Best States
US News & World Report
#18
Economy
#21
Fiscal Stability
#2
Infrastructure
#21
Opportunity
#15
Education
#35
Health Care
#10
Crime & Corrections
#32
Natural Environment
#42
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#33
Affordability
#19
Economy
#34
Education & Health
#28
Quality of Life
#47
Safety
#28
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
#47of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#36of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#32of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#6of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#19of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#31of 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
#43of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
6.3%#6 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
83%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#29of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#18of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#33of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#7score 74.8
State Tech & Science Index