Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Michigan
Overall State Ranking
#14 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#25of 50
Approval Score
10.85
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
93.0
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
95.1
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
28.6
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
#6
Economy
#18
Infrastructure
#15
Cost of Business
#4
Business Friendliness
#14
Workforce
#13
Access to Capital
#13
Tech & Innovation
#17
Education
#41
Cost of Living
#9
Quality of Life
#14
Best States
US News & World Report
#43
Economy
#33
Fiscal Stability
#38
Infrastructure
#44
Opportunity
#23
Education
#45
Health Care
#22
Crime & Corrections
#39
Natural Environment
#32
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#30
Affordability
#12
Economy
#46
Education & Health
#31
Quality of Life
#13
Safety
#33
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
#11of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#21of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#14of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#41of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#12of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#15of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#4of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#14of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
0.6%#41 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
73%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#6of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#43of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#30of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#17score 56.7
State Tech & Science Index