Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Massachusetts
Overall State Ranking
#35 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#1of 50
Approval Score
1.00
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
98.8
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
98.6
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
88.9
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
#20
Economy
#15
Infrastructure
#35
Cost of Business
#49
Business Friendliness
#42
Workforce
#23
Access to Capital
#5
Tech & Innovation
#4
Education
#2
Cost of Living
#43
Quality of Life
#8
Best States
US News & World Report
#9
Economy
#11
Fiscal Stability
#36
Infrastructure
#39
Opportunity
#41
Education
#5
Health Care
#2
Crime & Corrections
#5
Natural Environment
#3
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#1
Affordability
#44
Economy
#9
Education & Health
#1
Quality of Life
#6
Safety
#6
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
#18of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#34of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#33of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#32of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#44of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#35of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#49of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#42of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
1.5%#32 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
91%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#20of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#9of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#1of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#1score 86.1
State Tech & Science Index