Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Ohio
Overall State Ranking
#18 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#9of 50
Approval Score
3.86
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
93.6
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
100.0
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
74.0
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
#5
Economy
#26
Infrastructure
#1
Cost of Business
#2
Business Friendliness
#25
Workforce
#31
Access to Capital
#7
Tech & Innovation
#6
Education
#27
Cost of Living
#7
Quality of Life
#17
Best States
US News & World Report
#38
Economy
#39
Fiscal Stability
#25
Infrastructure
#30
Opportunity
#17
Education
#30
Health Care
#34
Crime & Corrections
#31
Natural Environment
#41
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#26
Affordability
#23
Economy
#45
Education & Health
#29
Quality of Life
#15
Safety
#22
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
#16of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#19of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#40of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#40of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#23of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#1of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#2of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#25of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
0.7%#40 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
76%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#5of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#38of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#26of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#30score 46.8
State Tech & Science Index