Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Maine
Overall State Ranking
#44 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#2of 50
Approval Score
1.79
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
100.0
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
96.6
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
83.6
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
#43
Economy
#33
Infrastructure
#50
Cost of Business
#30
Business Friendliness
#45
Workforce
#38
Access to Capital
#33
Tech & Innovation
#36
Education
#22
Cost of Living
#21
Quality of Life
#2
Best States
US News & World Report
#27
Economy
#30
Fiscal Stability
#29
Infrastructure
#40
Opportunity
#3
Education
#40
Health Care
#28
Crime & Corrections
#2
Natural Environment
#22
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#13
Affordability
#35
Economy
#8
Education & Health
#11
Quality of Life
#26
Safety
#10
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
#41of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#48of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#41of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#17of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#35of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#50of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#30of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#45of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
3.1%#17 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
39%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#43of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#27of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#13of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#44score 32.6
State Tech & Science Index