Red Tape 50 · State Profile
New Mexico
Overall State Ranking
#39 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#16of 50
Approval Score
4.27
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
93.6
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
97.4
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
74.7
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
#44
Economy
#46
Infrastructure
#29
Cost of Business
#23
Business Friendliness
#39
Workforce
#31
Access to Capital
#46
Tech & Innovation
#35
Education
#38
Cost of Living
#26
Quality of Life
#33
Best States
US News & World Report
#47
Economy
#43
Fiscal Stability
#26
Infrastructure
#42
Opportunity
#37
Education
#50
Health Care
#38
Crime & Corrections
#49
Natural Environment
#30
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#50
Affordability
#25
Economy
#33
Education & Health
#48
Quality of Life
#30
Safety
#49
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
#39of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#35of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#44of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#42of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#25of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#29of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#23of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#39of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
0.6%#42 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
75%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#44of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#47of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#50of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#20score 54.5
State Tech & Science Index