Red Tape 50 · State Profile
New Jersey
Overall State Ranking
#46 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#31of 50
Approval Score
11.52
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
89.1
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
92.8
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
33.6
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
#30
Economy
#31
Infrastructure
#21
Cost of Business
#38
Business Friendliness
#49
Workforce
#14
Access to Capital
#11
Tech & Innovation
#16
Education
#7
Cost of Living
#37
Quality of Life
#3
Best States
US News & World Report
#19
Economy
#31
Fiscal Stability
#49
Infrastructure
#12
Opportunity
#45
Education
#1
Health Care
#5
Crime & Corrections
#10
Natural Environment
#28
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#3
Affordability
#48
Economy
#25
Education & Health
#6
Quality of Life
#7
Safety
#1
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
#34of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#50of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#46of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#21of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#48of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#21of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#38of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#49of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
2.3%#21 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
94%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#30of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#19of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#3of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#12score 62.4
State Tech & Science Index