Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Louisiana
Overall State Ranking
#38 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#44of 50
Approval Score
25.07
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
64.9
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
60.0
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
19.9
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
#46
Economy
#47
Infrastructure
#46
Cost of Business
#7
Business Friendliness
#35
Workforce
#44
Access to Capital
#32
Tech & Innovation
#38
Education
#22
Cost of Living
#39
Quality of Life
#46
Best States
US News & World Report
#50
Economy
#50
Fiscal Stability
#46
Infrastructure
#48
Opportunity
#46
Education
#46
Health Care
#44
Crime & Corrections
#50
Natural Environment
#49
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#49
Affordability
#20
Economy
#50
Education & Health
#49
Quality of Life
#40
Safety
#40
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
#26of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#16of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#15of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#48of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#20of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#46of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#7of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#35of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
-1.3%#48 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
72%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#46of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#50of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#49of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#49score 22.3
State Tech & Science Index