Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Iowa
Overall State Ranking
#23 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#8of 50
Approval Score
2.31
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
95.6
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
98.2
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
85.0
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
#24
Economy
#39
Infrastructure
#19
Cost of Business
#11
Business Friendliness
#24
Workforce
#41
Access to Capital
#37
Tech & Innovation
#29
Education
#38
Cost of Living
#9
Quality of Life
#16
Best States
US News & World Report
#14
Economy
#44
Fiscal Stability
#4
Infrastructure
#14
Opportunity
#2
Education
#20
Health Care
#27
Crime & Corrections
#14
Natural Environment
#29
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#12
Affordability
#22
Economy
#30
Education & Health
#20
Quality of Life
#17
Safety
#15
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
#43of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#9of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#3of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#29of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#22of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#19of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#11of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#24of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
1.6%#29 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
63%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#24of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#14of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#12of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#33score 44.5
State Tech & Science Index