Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Idaho
Overall State Ranking
#10 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#27of 50
Approval Score
9.19
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
89.4
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
97.9
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
43.7
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
#27
Economy
#7
Infrastructure
#38
Cost of Business
#25
Business Friendliness
#10
Workforce
#38
Access to Capital
#50
Tech & Innovation
#25
Education
#49
Cost of Living
#26
Quality of Life
#19
Best States
US News & World Report
#3
Economy
#4
Fiscal Stability
#8
Infrastructure
#16
Opportunity
#10
Education
#29
Health Care
#20
Crime & Corrections
#9
Natural Environment
#10
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#2
Affordability
#11
Economy
#7
Education & Health
#21
Quality of Life
#24
Safety
#4
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
#14of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#29of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#18of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#1of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#11of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#38of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#25of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#10of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
8.8%#1 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
69%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#27of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#3of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#2of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#25score 50.4
State Tech & Science Index