Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Kentucky
Overall State Ranking
#33 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#50of 50
Approval Score
50.00
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
17.0
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
0.0
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
0.0
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
#25
Economy
#34
Infrastructure
#36
Cost of Business
#9
Business Friendliness
#16
Workforce
#25
Access to Capital
#35
Tech & Innovation
#31
Education
#26
Cost of Living
#20
Quality of Life
#33
Best States
US News & World Report
#39
Economy
#46
Fiscal Stability
#34
Infrastructure
#24
Opportunity
#20
Education
#32
Health Care
#45
Crime & Corrections
#11
Natural Environment
#23
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#37
Affordability
#10
Economy
#49
Education & Health
#38
Quality of Life
#46
Safety
#20
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
#29of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#6of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#16of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#28of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#10of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#36of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#9of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#16of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
1.8%#28 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
59%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#25of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#39of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#37of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#45score 30.7
State Tech & Science Index