Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Georgia
Overall State Ranking
#3 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#29of 50
Approval Score
5.47
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
91.3
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
94.9
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
73.1
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
#7
Economy
#9
Infrastructure
#4
Cost of Business
#18
Business Friendliness
#17
Workforce
#3
Access to Capital
#16
Tech & Innovation
#22
Education
#15
Cost of Living
#30
Quality of Life
#45
Best States
US News & World Report
#21
Economy
#18
Fiscal Stability
#5
Infrastructure
#13
Opportunity
#32
Education
#27
Health Care
#37
Crime & Corrections
#22
Natural Environment
#20
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#27
Affordability
#18
Economy
#24
Education & Health
#41
Quality of Life
#19
Safety
#21
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
#9of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#3of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#9of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#12of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#18of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#4of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#18of 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
4.4%#12 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
74%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#7of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#21of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#27of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#22score 51.9
State Tech & Science Index