Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Illinois
Overall State Ranking
#34 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#21of 50
Approval Score
4.47
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
93.9
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
95.3
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
75.7
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
#13
Economy
#44
Infrastructure
#8
Cost of Business
#19
Business Friendliness
#38
Workforce
#19
Access to Capital
#5
Tech & Innovation
#6
Education
#3
Cost of Living
#34
Quality of Life
#23
Best States
US News & World Report
#36
Economy
#42
Fiscal Stability
#50
Infrastructure
#22
Opportunity
#35
Education
#14
Health Care
#24
Crime & Corrections
#15
Natural Environment
#45
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#17
Affordability
#37
Economy
#47
Education & Health
#25
Quality of Life
#3
Safety
#9
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
#36of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#30of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#34of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#47of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#37of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#8of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#19of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#38of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
-0.9%#47 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
87%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#13of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#36of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#17of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#21score 52.6
State Tech & Science Index