Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Nebraska
Overall State Ranking
#20 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#7of 50
Approval Score
2.73
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
96.4
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
98.0
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
80.6
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
#15
Economy
#19
Infrastructure
#30
Cost of Business
#15
Business Friendliness
#8
Workforce
#17
Access to Capital
#41
Tech & Innovation
#32
Education
#29
Cost of Living
#24
Quality of Life
#8
Best States
US News & World Report
#5
Economy
#29
Fiscal Stability
#6
Infrastructure
#1
Opportunity
#14
Education
#13
Health Care
#23
Crime & Corrections
#18
Natural Environment
#11
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#20
Affordability
#33
Economy
#28
Education & Health
#13
Quality of Life
#27
Safety
#29
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
#45of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#7of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#23of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#23of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#33of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#30of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#15of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#8of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
2.2%#23 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
73%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#15of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#5of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#20of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#34score 44.5
State Tech & Science Index