Red Tape 50 · State Profile
New Hampshire
Overall State Ranking
#15 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#3of 50
Approval Score
1.42
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
98.4
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
97.5
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
87.9
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
#36
Economy
#23
Infrastructure
#47
Cost of Business
#37
Business Friendliness
#6
Workforce
#26
Access to Capital
#44
Tech & Innovation
#44
Education
#3
Cost of Living
#26
Quality of Life
#11
Best States
US News & World Report
#2
Economy
#12
Fiscal Stability
#37
Infrastructure
#19
Opportunity
#6
Education
#16
Health Care
#12
Crime & Corrections
#1
Natural Environment
#4
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#7
Affordability
#40
Economy
#3
Education & Health
#7
Quality of Life
#36
Safety
#3
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
#2of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#39of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#25of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#20of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#40of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#47of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#37of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#6of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
2.3%#20 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
58%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#36of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#2of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#7of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#10score 65.0
State Tech & Science Index