Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Mississippi
Overall State Ranking
#32 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#19of 50
Approval Score
4.40
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
98.8
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
90.2
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
74.9
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
#45
Economy
#49
Infrastructure
#44
Cost of Business
#7
Business Friendliness
#34
Workforce
#49
Access to Capital
#41
Tech & Innovation
#40
Education
#20
Cost of Living
#12
Quality of Life
#21
Best States
US News & World Report
#48
Economy
#49
Fiscal Stability
#47
Infrastructure
#47
Opportunity
#31
Education
#34
Health Care
#50
Crime & Corrections
#20
Natural Environment
#31
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#47
Affordability
#8
Economy
#43
Education & Health
#50
Quality of Life
#49
Safety
#14
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
#42of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#22of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#13of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#45of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#8of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#44of 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
#34of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
-0.6%#45 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
46%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#45of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#48of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#47of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#50score 17.5
State Tech & Science Index