Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Missouri
Overall State Ranking
#24 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#43of 50
Approval Score
18.79
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
77.2
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
66.8
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
36.5
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
#34
Economy
#37
Infrastructure
#23
Cost of Business
#6
Business Friendliness
#29
Workforce
#48
Access to Capital
#26
Tech & Innovation
#28
Education
#8
Cost of Living
#4
Quality of Life
#39
Best States
US News & World Report
#31
Economy
#25
Fiscal Stability
#11
Infrastructure
#37
Opportunity
#11
Education
#33
Health Care
#43
Crime & Corrections
#43
Natural Environment
#18
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#28
Affordability
#4
Economy
#21
Education & Health
#37
Quality of Life
#28
Safety
#36
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
#8of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#17of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#42of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#31of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#4of 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
#6of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#29of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
1.5%#31 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
69%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#34of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#31of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#28of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#35score 42.0
State Tech & Science Index