Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Maryland
Overall State Ranking
#42 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#20of 50
Approval Score
6.05
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
94.6
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
94.7
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
63.3
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
#32
Economy
#26
Infrastructure
#23
Cost of Business
#46
Business Friendliness
#37
Workforce
#21
Access to Capital
#14
Tech & Innovation
#9
Education
#11
Cost of Living
#43
Quality of Life
#27
Best States
US News & World Report
#20
Economy
#35
Fiscal Stability
#27
Infrastructure
#28
Opportunity
#27
Education
#21
Health Care
#6
Crime & Corrections
#30
Natural Environment
#2
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#34
Affordability
#38
Economy
#37
Education & Health
#19
Quality of Life
#31
Safety
#30
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
#35of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#47of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#38of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#34of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#38of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#23of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#46of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#37of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
1.3%#34 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
86%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#32of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#20of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#34of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#4score 77.7
State Tech & Science Index